A Novel Perspective on the Amelioriating Effects of Catechin-Carbonyl Adducts on Ages Toxicity in High-Protein Food and Caco-2 Cell

Abstract

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are significant byproducts of the Maillard reaction and are implicated in various degenerative diseases. Reactive carbonyl compounds (RCS), crucial intermediates in this process, further promote AGE formation, contributing to disease pathogenesis. Catechin (CC) effectively inhibits the Maillard reaction by forming catechin-carbonyl adducts. However, the nature of catechin-carbonyl adducts is not yet known. It remains unclear whether these adducts are harmful within the system or if they can further inhibit AGEs toxicity. Studies have demonstrated that catechin reacts with methylglyoxal (MGO) to produce CC-MGO adducts, which can be isolated and purified to high purity using high-speed counter-current chromatography. Experiments conducted in simulated food systems have shown that CC-MGO adducts significantly reduce the production of AGEs through their antioxidative effects. Similar results were observed in a milk-based food system. Using a Caco-2 cell model, CC-MGO adducts were found to be less cytotoxic compared to MGO and demonstrated a mitigating effect on AGEs-induced cytotoxicity, particularly notable at 100 μM concentration. Transcriptomics-based GO functional annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that AGEs induce cytotoxicity via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, whereas CC-MGO adducts attenuate cytotoxicity by modulating the PPAR and IL-17 signaling pathways. RT-PCR confirmed the up- or down-regulation of relevant genes in these pathways. In conclusion, this study utilized high-speed counter-current chromatography to isolate high-purity CC-MGO adducts, highlighting their inhibitory effect on AGEs in food systems. Furthermore, it elucidated the mechanisms by which CC-MGO adducts mitigate AGEs-induced cytotoxicity in Caco-2 cells. These findings provide new insights into catechins' role in inhibiting the Maillard reaction and offer promising avenues for addressing health issues associated with AGEs.

Keywords: Catechin (CC), Methylglyoxal (MGO), Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC), Transcriptomics