Description
The non-enzymatic reaction of reducing carbohydrates with lysine side chains and N-terminal amino groups of macromolecules (proteins, phospholipids and nucleic acids) is called the Maillard reaction or glycation. The products of this process, termed advanced glycation end products (AGEs), adversely affect the functional properties of proteins. Many AGEs have fluorescent and convalent cross-linking properties.Accumulation of AGEs has been thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic patients as well as the aging process. Recent studies have suggested that AGEs can arise not only from sugars but also from carbonyl compounds derived from the autoxidation of sugars and other metabolic pathways. Among different AGEs, there is evidence that glyceraldehyde-derived AGEs are associated with such cytotoxcity