Functional and biological properties of Maillard conjugates and their potential application in medical and food: A review

Protein and peptides are usually sensitive to environmental stresses, such as pH changes, high temperature, ionic strength, and digestive enzymes amongst other, which limit their food and medicinal applications. Maillard reaction (also called Maillard conjugation or glycation) occurs naturally without the addition of chemical agents and has been vastly applied to boost protein/peptide/amino acid functionalities and biological properties. Protein/peptide-saccharide conjugates are currently used as emulsifiers, antioxidants, antimicrobials, gelling agents, and anti-browning compounds in food model systems and products. The conjugates also possess the excellent stabilizing ability as a potent delivery system to enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of many bioactive compounds. Carbonyl scavengers such as polyphenols are able to significantly inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products without a significant effect on early Maillard reaction products (MRPs) and melanoidins, which are currently applied as functional ingredients. This review paper highlights the technological functionality and biological properties of glycoconjugates in food model systems and products. Recent applications of MRPs in medical sciences are also presented.