Biological and chemical assessment of antioxidant activity of sugar-lysine model Maillard reaction products

The antioxidant activity of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) is often associated with increased stability and shelf life of food systems vulnerable to oxidation reactions. In this study, nondialyzed, high-molecular weight (HMW = >3500 Da) MRPs were recovered from three model sugar-lysine (glucose-lysine, Glc-Lys; fructose-lysine, Fru-Lys; and ribose-lysine, Rib-Lys) reactions, heated at 121 degrees C for one hour. Samples were characterized by UV and fluorescence spectra and assessed for antioxidant activity using both standard chemical methods (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl [DPPHI and oxygen radical absorbing capacity [ORAC]). In addition, biochemical (e.g., cell culture for intracellular oxidation in RAW264.7 cells and protection against metal ion-induced cytotoxicity in C3H/10T1/2 mouse embryo fibroblast cells) assays were used. Patterns of change for fluorescence and multiple colorimetric parameters corresponded to the recovery yield of HMW MRPs and indicated that Rib was more (P < 0.05) reactive than Gic, which in turn was greater (P < 0.05) than Fro. These characteristics of rate of browning did not parallel the significant (P < 0.05) antioxidant activity noted for different sugar-derived HMW MRPs to scavenge DPPH radical, or exhibit total antioxidant activity using the ORAC (e.g., 800-1000 mu mol Trolox/gm MRP) method. Antioxidant activity of Glc-, Fru-, and Rib-Lys HMW-MRPs (50 mu g/mL) produced protection (P < 0.05) against both H2O2- and AAPH-induced intracellular oxidation reactions in cultured RAW 264.7 cells. Metal chelating activity of all three sugar-derived HMW MRPs (0.01% w/v) was attributed to similar protection (P < 0.05) against Fe2+ and Cu2+-induced cytotoxicity in cultured mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The reducing activity of all three HMW-MRPs indicated the potential for prooxidant activity that could explain enhanced cytotoxicity of Fe3+ in cultured cells.