Natural berry powders trap the advanced glycation end product intermediate, methylglyoxal

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are the bio-marker of aging and promote the development or worsening of many degenerative diseases. AGEs are a natural consequence of our metabolism; however dietary AGEs have become of interest due to their high concentration in the heavily processed foods of the western diet. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is known to be a key intermediate to the formation of AGEs both in vitro and in vivo. In the study presented, four freeze dried berry powders (blackberry, cranberry, blueberry, and black currant) showed the ability to reduce the concentration of MGO under simulated physiological conditions. Head-Space Solid Phase Microextraction was used to retrieve modified MGO derivatives from solution to be quantified through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). The blueberry powder showed the largest MGO reduction after 1 hour of incubation at 37°C with 61.66%. Black currant followed with 51.3% reduction while cranberry and blackberry were on the lower end at 43.7 and 31.4% respectively. The MGO reduction rate was also observed through a kinetic study under the same conditions. The blueberry powder exhibited the quickest reduction rate by trapping 50% of the MGO present within 5 minutes. The remaining powders showed a steady increase in MGO reduction as incubation time increased with black currant being the higher of the three, followed by cranberry and finally blackberry. In summation, the polyphenols present in commercial berry powders efficiently trap MGO and can reduce the production of AGEs, ultimately having a positive impact on human health.M.S.Includes bibliographical reference