Inhibitory effects of Chrysanthemum species extracts on formation of advanced glycation end products

The corolla of Chrysanthemum species (C. morifolium R. and C. indicum L.) has long been used to treat eye and inflammatory disease. However, little is known about the antiglycation properties of Chrysanthemum species. Our study sought to characterise their activity against the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in glycation model reactions. In BSA/glucose (fructose) systems, both Chrysanthemum species strongly inhibited the formation of AGEs and Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML). C. morifolium R., not C. indicum L., also acted to inhibit the formation of fluorescent AGEs, including pentosidine. This difference correlated with the values of polyphenol and flavonoid components. We characterised the active components in these plants by liquid chromatography-diode array detector-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation/mass spectrometry, which showed that C. morifolium R. contains large amounts of chlorogenic acid, flavonoid glucoside varieties, and apigenin, while C. indicum L. contains large amounts of caffeic acid, luteolin, and kaempferol. Our findings raise hopes for the successful treatment of pathogenesis in conditions associated with diabetic complications and aging.