2021 Volume 27 Issue 5 Pages 747-757
Maillard reaction products (MRPs) produced during thermal processing and storage of foods have received considerable attention because of their potential antioxidant activity. We investigated whether heat-dried tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) extracts and their MRPs confer longevity and neuroprotective effects in Caenorhabditis elegans. Heat-drying of mature green tomato resulted in increased absorbance at 294 nm and 420 nm, which indicated the presence of MRPs. Heat-dried green tomato extract and its MRP fraction exhibited DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and significantly extended the lifespan of C. elegans. The MRP fraction protected against β-amyloid-, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-, and H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in C. elegans. These results suggest that the dry processing of unripe green tomato induces MRP formation that might protect against neurodegeneration.
