• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2009

Hemorheological properties are easily modified by glucose-induced oxidation and glycation. Carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide ($\beta$-alanyl-LFull-size image-histidine), has been recently proposed to act as an antioxidant as well as a free-radical scavenger. In the present study, we investigate its protective and rejuvenating effects in erythrocytes that are exposed to glucose-rich plasma. Erythrocytes that were incubated in glucose solutions were treated with different concentrations of carnosine and for different incubation times. Their hemorheological alterations were examined. The results reveal that the presence of carnosine effectively prevented these rheological alterations in a concentration-dependent manner in glucose-rich media. It is proposed that moderate concentrations of carnosine might be further explored as potential therapeutic agents for pathologies that involve hemorheological modification.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.683-687
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• 2010

Previous studies have shown that one of the primary causes of increased iron content in the brain may be the release of excess iron from intracellular iron storage molecules such as ferritin. Free iron generates ROS that cause oxidative cell damage. Carnosine and related compounds such as endogenous histidine dipetides have antioxidant activities. We have investigated the protective effects of carnosine and homocarnosine against oxidative damage of DNA induced by reaction of ferritin with $H_2O_2$. The results show that carnosine and homocarnosine prevented ferritin/$H_2O_2$-mediated DNA strand breakage. These compounds effectively inhibited ferritin/$H_2O_2$-mediated hydroxyl radical generation and decreased the mutagenicity of DNA induced by the ferritin/$H_2O_2$ reaction. Our results suggest that carnosine and related compounds might have antioxidant effects on DNA under pathophysiological conditions leading to degenerative damage such as neurodegenerative disorders.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1732-1736
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• 2008

The endogenous dipeptides, carnosine and related compounds, are the naturally occurring dipeptides with multiple neuroprotective properties. We have examined the protective effects of carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine on the aggregation of neurofilament-L (NF-L) induced by neurotoxin, acrolein. When NF-L was incubated with acrolein in the presence of carnosine, homocarnosine or anserine, protein aggregation was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. These compounds inhibited the formation of protein carbonyl compounds and dityrosine in acrolein-mediated NF-L aggregates. The aggregates of NF-L displayed thioflavin T reactivity, reminiscent of amyloid. This thioflavin T reactivity was inhibited by carnosine and related compounds. This effect was associated with decreased formation of oxidatively modified proteins. Our results suggested that carnosine and related compounds might have protective effects to brain proteins under pathophysiological conditions leading to degenerative damage such as neurodegenerative disorders.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.350-357
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• 1999

At concentrations of 1 mM, the protective effects of carnosine and related compounds including anserine, homocarnosine, histidine, ${\beta}$-alanine were investigated against copper-catalyzed oxidative damage to deoxyribose, ascorbic acid, human serum albumin, liposome, and erythrocytes. Carnosine and anserine reduced Cu (II) to bathocuproine-reactive Cu (I) in a time- a and a dose-dependent manner while the others did not. Carnosine reduced 86% of $100\;{\mu}M$ Cu (II) in 60 min. Carnosine, homocarnosine, anserine, and histidine inhibited copper-catalyzed deoxyribose degradation by 75, 66, 65, and 45%, respectively. In the presence of $1\;{\mu}M$ Cu (II), carnosine and related compounds inhibited ascorbic acid oxidation by 55-85% after incubation for 20 min. In the presence of 0.15 mM ascorbic acid and 0.8 mM $H_2O_2$, carnosine, anserine, homocarnosine, and histidine inhibited copper-catalyzed oxidation of human serum albumin by 41, 21, 29, and 24%, respectively, as determined by carbonyl formation. These compounds also significantly inhibited copper-catalyzed liposomal lipid peroxidation as measured by malondialehyde and lipid hydroperoxides. Carnosine, anserine, homocarnosine, and histidine inhibited hemolysis of bovine erythrocytes induced by 0.1 mM Cu (II). These results suggest that histidine-containing dipeptides may play an important role in protecting against free radical-mediated tissue damage.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.252-256
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of blood meal as a source of L-histidine, and the addition of magnesium (Mg) as a catalyst of carnosine synthetase for the carnosine and anserine concentrations of pig muscles (longissimus dorsi, LD and vastus intermedius, VI). A total of twenty-four pigs with an average body weight of $60.2{\pm}4.2$ kg were randomly allotted to one of three dietary treatments (eight replicates), during 56 d of the feeding trial. Dietary treatments included: (1) Basal: basal diet; (2) BM: 95% basal diet + 5% blood meal; and (3) BM+Mg: 94.8% basal diet + 5% blood meal + 0.2% MgO (60% Mg). Results indicated that drip loss in the LD was less (p<0.05) for meat with BM+Mg treatment than that with Basal treatment, but the values for BM treatment did not differ from those of the other two treatment groups. The concentrations of carnosine in the LD were increased by 10.0% in both BM and BM+Mg treatment groups over the Basal treatment group (significance not verified). The concentrations of carnosine and anserine in the VI were not affected by the dietary treatments. Inclusion of additional Mg in diets had no effect on carnosine and anserine concentrations in the LD and VI. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of blood meal could be a potential method of fortifying the pork with carnosine. Inclusion of additional Mg in the diets containing blood meal had no benefit on carnosine and anserine depositions in pig muscles.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.104-108
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• 2009

Glycation and oxidation induce formation of carbonyl (CO) groups in proteins, which can be used to develop an index of cellular aging. Methyl glyoxal (MG) and hypochlorite anions are deleterious products of oxygen free-radical reaction. The effects of eel carnosine on protein modification mediated by MG and hypochlorite were studied. MG and hypochlorite induced formation of carbonyl groups with high molecular weight and cross-linked forms of ovalbumin. The presence of eel carnosine effectively inhibited these modifications in a concentration-dependent manner. Imidazole ring in eel carnosine might have a primary role in inhibition of protein glycation. Our data suggests that the eel carnosine may be useful as a "natural" anti-glycating agents.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.45-48
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• 2012

The imidazole dipeptide carnosine and its methylated anserine analogues are the major histidine containing dipeptides in vertebrate tissue, especially in skeletal muscle, the heart, and the central nervous system. In this study, the carnosine and anserine content in chicken from different parts and of differing ages was determined and their physiological activities were compared. Anserine was more dominant than carnosine in these tissues and both of them significantly decreased with aging in all parts of chicken muscles. Chicken breast muscle showed the highest content of carnosine and anserine than drumstick and wing. Advanced glycated end-product (AGE) formation was inhibited up to 60% by the extract from 20 wk chicken breast and decreased with aging (90 wk). Anti-oxidation activity was also significantly reduced from 61.2% to 52.9% with aging. As results, anti-glycation and anti-oxidation activity of carnosine and anserine extract from chicken muscle increased proportionally to the amount of those peptides in the muscle, while these decreased with the aging process.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.794-802
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of antioxidants on lipid oxidation in uncooked ground pork which was treated with ${\alpha}-tocopherol$, GFSE (grapefruit seed extract), carnosine and rosemary, respectively. The ground pork samples were uncooked and cooked during 10 days of storage at $4{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, respectively. The lipid oxidation and fatty acids composition were analyzed for over a periods of storage day. From the results mentioned above, antioxidative activity on lipid oxidation of uncooked ground pork appeared to be in order of carnosine > rosemary > ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ > GFSE. It would not be problem that addition of carnosine in uncooked ground of resulted in an increase of pH because the high pH could be advantageous on processing of meat. Antioxidative activity on lipid oxidation of cooked ground pork appeared to be in order of carnosine > rosemary > ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ > GFSE. Although the antioxidants were not lost their antioxidative }ctivities after cooking, their antioxidative activities in cooked ground pork were not higher than that of uncooked ground pork. That addition of carnosine increased the pH of cooked ground pork, too.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.188-202
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Brain aging is a major risk factor for severe neurodegenerative diseases. Conversely, L-histidine and L-carnosine are known to exhibit neuroprotective effects. The aim of this study was to examine the potential for L-histidine, L-carnosine, and their combination to mediate anti-brain aging effects in neuronal cells subjected to D-galactose-induced aging. MATERIALS/METHODS: The neuroprotective potential of L-histidine, L-carnosine, and their combination was examined in a retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiated SH-SY5Y cell line exposed to D-galactose (200 mM) for 48 h. Neuronal cell proliferation, differentiation, and expression of anti-oxidant enzymes and apoptosis markers were subsequently evaluated. RESULTS: Treatment with L-histidine (1 mM), L-carnosine (10 mM), or both for 48 h efficiently improved the proliferation, neurogenesis, and senescence of D-galactose-treated SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, protein expression levels of both neuronal markers (β tubulin-III and neurofilament heavy protein) and anti-oxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase-1 and superoxide dismutase-1 were up-regulated. Conversely, protein expression levels of amyloid β (1-42) and cleaved caspase-3 were down-regulated. Levels of mRNA for the pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α were also down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first evidence that L-histidine, L-carnosine, and their combination mediate anti-aging effects in a neuronal cell line subjected to D-galactose-induced aging. These results suggest the potential benefits of L-histidine and L-carnosine as anti-brain aging agents and they support further research of these amino acid molecules.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.271-279
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• 2022

Background: Inflammation is known to underlie the pathogenesis in neuropathic pain. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective mechanisms involved in antinociceptive effects of co-administration of acetaminophen and L-carnosine in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced peripheral neuropathy in male Wistar rats. Methods: Fifty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven experimental groups (n = 8) treated with normal saline/acetaminophen/acetaminophen + L-carnosine. CCI was used to induce neuropathic pain in rats. Hyperalgesia and allodynia were assessed using hotplate and von Frey tests, respectively. Investigation of spinal proinflammatory cytokines and antioxidant system were carried out after twenty-one days of treatment. Results: The results showed that the co-administration of acetaminophen and L-carnosine significantly (P < 0.001) increased the paw withdrawal threshold to thermal and mechanical stimuli in ligated rats compared to the ligated naïve group. There was a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in the levels of nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer B cell inhibitor, calcium ion, interleukin-1-beta, and tumour necrotic factor-alpha in the spinal cord of the group coadministered with acetaminophen and L-carnosine compared to the ligated control group. Co-administration with acetaminophen and L-carnosine increased the antioxidant enzymatic activities and reduced the lipid peroxidation in the spinal cord. Conclusions: Co-administration of acetaminophen and L-carnosine has anti-inflammatory effects as a mechanism that mediate its antinociceptive effects in CCI-induced peripheral neuropathy in Wistar rat.