In various organisms, an array of
enzymes is involved in the synthesis and breakdown of
methylglyoxal. Through these
enzymes, it is intimately linked to several other physiologically important metabolites, suggesting that
methylglyoxal has some important role to play in the host organism. Several in vitro and in vivo studies showed that
methylglyoxal acts specifically against different types of malignant cells. These studies culminated in a recent investigation to evaluate a
methylglyoxal-based formulation in treating a small group of
cancer patients, and the results were promising.
Methylglyoxal acts against a number of pathogenic microorganisms. However, recent literature abounds with the toxic effects of
methylglyoxal, which are supposed to be mediated through
methylglyoxal-derived
advanced glycation end products (AGE). Many diseases such as diabetes,
cataract formation,
hypertension, and
uremia are proposed to be intimately linked with
methylglyoxal-derived AGE. However
methylglyoxal-derived AGE formation and subsequent pathogenesis might be a very minor event because AGE are nonspecific reaction products that are derived through the reactions of carbonyl groups of reducing
sugars with amino groups present in the side chains of
lysine and
arginine and in terminal amino groups of
proteins. Moreover, the results of some in vitro experiments with
methylglyoxal under non-physiological conditions were extrapolated to the in vivo situation. Some experiments even showed contradictory results and were differently interpreted. For this reason conclusions about the potential beneficial effects of
methylglyoxal have often been neglected, thus hindering the advancement of medical science and causing some
confusion in fundamental understanding. Overall, the potential beneficial effects of
methylglyoxal far outweigh its possible toxic role in vivo, and it should be utilized for the benefit of suffering humanity.