Antiglycation Potential of Launaea taraxacifolia on Pentosidine- and Vesperlysine-like Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)

Antiglycation Potential of Launaea taraxacifolia on Pentosidine- and Vesperlysine-like Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Antiglycation Potential of Launaea taraxacifolia on Pentosidine- and Vesperlysine-like Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) De-Graft Gyamfi Adjei, Frederick Ayertey, Ernest Agyei, Joseph Adusei Sarkodie, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9379510/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) induce metabolic memory that promotes oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, leading to diabetic complications. AGEs formation, accumulation, oxidation, and inflammation have become common drug targets. Despite the extensive research, orthodox agents have had safety concerns, limited efficacy, and are costly, underscoring the need for safer, more effective, multitargeted botanicals that modulate glycation, oxidation, and inflammation. West African ethnomedicine uses Launaea taraxacifolia for its nutritional and medicinal advantages, including diabetes management. However, its antiglycation potential is unknown. Thus, this study investigated African lettuce's antiglycation effects and its potential in modulating the associated glycoxidative and inflammatory processes. Methodology :The qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of the 70% ethanolic leaf extract of L. taraxacifolia was conducted using standard methods. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were determined using DPPH free radical and protein denaturation assays, respectively. The antiglycation effect was evaluated by measuring inhibition of vesperlysine-like and pentosidine-like AGE fluorescence induced by various reducing sugars in a BSA model. Results Qualitatively, the presence of phenolics, saponins, and flavonoids, among others, was identified. Quantitatively, the total phenolic content was 7.27 mg (GAE/100 mg) while the total flavonoid content was 11.03 mg (QE/100 mg). The extract scavenged DPPH radicals and reduced protein denaturation. LTE significantly reduced vesperlysine-like and pentosidine-like AGE formation, albeit lower, compared to aminoguanidine. Conclusion LTE demonstrated significant glycoxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting its potential as a natural regulator of metabolic memory and diabetes complications. Biological sciences/Biochemistry Health sciences/Diseases Biological sciences/Drug discovery Biological sciences/Plant sciences Launaea taraxacifolia Antioxidant Anti-inflammatory Phytochemicals Diabetes complications Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files ManuscriptCalibrationCurves.xlsx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 02 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 30 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 30 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 30 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 21 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 21 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9379510","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":634946011,"identity":"7220f0cd-10a4-468b-b266-aca18a08434f","order_by":0,"name":"De-Graft Gyamfi Adjei","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ghana","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"De-Graft","middleName":"Gyamfi","lastName":"Adjei","suffix":""},{"id":634946012,"identity":"9106f086-f6e6-48a2-8129-c4836f81fcf0","order_by":1,"name":"Frederick Ayertey","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Centre for Plant Medicine 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Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Phytochemicals, Diabetes complications","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9379510/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9379510/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdvanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) induce metabolic memory that promotes oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, leading to diabetic complications. AGEs formation, accumulation, oxidation, and inflammation have become common drug targets. Despite the extensive research, orthodox agents have had safety concerns, limited efficacy, and are costly, underscoring the need for safer, more effective, multitargeted botanicals that modulate glycation, oxidation, and inflammation. West African ethnomedicine uses \u003cem\u003eLaunaea taraxacifolia\u003c/em\u003e for its nutritional and medicinal advantages, including diabetes management. However, its antiglycation potential is unknown. Thus, this study investigated African lettuce's antiglycation effects and its potential in modulating the associated glycoxidative and inflammatory processes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethodology\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e:The qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of the 70% ethanolic leaf extract of \u003cem\u003eL. taraxacifolia\u003c/em\u003e was conducted using standard methods. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were determined using DPPH free radical and protein denaturation assays, respectively. The antiglycation effect was evaluated by measuring inhibition of vesperlysine-like and pentosidine-like AGE fluorescence induced by various reducing sugars in a BSA model.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eQualitatively, the presence of phenolics, saponins, and flavonoids, among others, was identified. Quantitatively, the total phenolic content was 7.27 mg (GAE/100 mg) while the total flavonoid content was 11.03 mg (QE/100 mg). The extract scavenged DPPH radicals and reduced protein denaturation. LTE significantly reduced vesperlysine-like and pentosidine-like AGE formation, albeit lower, compared to aminoguanidine.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eLTE demonstrated significant glycoxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting its potential as a natural regulator of metabolic memory and diabetes complications.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Antiglycation Potential of Launaea taraxacifolia on Pentosidine- and Vesperlysine-like Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-09 15:22:02","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9379510/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"293617624854978325330947459579351072047","date":"2026-05-02T16:37:37+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"294464620587929267439198270787910764999","date":"2026-05-02T11:07:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T15:18:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T15:13:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T12:42:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-04-21T18:13:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2026-04-21T17:54:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2bc6bbbc-12fa-44c8-bc1e-d227533d4610","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 9th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"293617624854978325330947459579351072047","date":"2026-05-02T16:37:37+00:00","index":37,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"294464620587929267439198270787910764999","date":"2026-05-02T11:07:11+00:00","index":36,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"18","date":"2026-04-30T15:18:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T15:13:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T12:42:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":67577071,"name":"Biological sciences/Biochemistry"},{"id":67577072,"name":"Health sciences/Diseases"},{"id":67577073,"name":"Biological sciences/Drug discovery"},{"id":67577074,"name":"Biological sciences/Plant sciences"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-09T15:22:02+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-09 15:22:02","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9379510","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9379510","identity":"rs-9379510","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}