Biological properties and methods for determination of carnosine

Oxidation stress, advanced glycation, accumulation of metals, accumulation of lactate, all these factors damage the human biomolecules and cause diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. Therefore, we made this article in which we tried to find solution for reduction of these negative factors. We found that carnosine is a potential solution. Carnosine is an endogenously produced heterodipeptide that meets Lipinski’s criteria which determine the suitability of a substance as a drug. Carnosine has antioxidant, pH-buffering, chelating, anti-aging, and anti-advanced glycation end products (AGEs) effects on the human body. Its regulation in the body lies in the enzymatic activities of carnosinases that break down carnosine into ß-alanine and l -histidine and carnosine synthase linking ß-alanine and l -histidine to the carnosine form. To use carnosine as a drug, the inhibitors of carnosinases such as carnostatine and bestatine must be used. It is possible to observe how carnosine is regulated by various enzymes in various diseases, how carnosine with inhibitors carnosinases supplementation affects plasma and tissue concentrations by means of several methods, namely by high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, optical methods, and immunoanalytical methods. These methods may be useful for future research for application of carnosine as pharmaceutical drug for treatment of several diseases. Graphical abstract