Protein Denaturation by carbohydrates and the involvement of the psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Carbonyl group of reducing sugar non - enzymatically react with amino groups of amino acids and proteins, causing a condensation reaction. This reaction is named the Maillard reaction because French food chemist, Louis Camille Maillard, discovered the reaction. This reaction is divided into roughly two steps, Amadori rearrangement products typified by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) that is already measured worldwide as a clinical marker for blood glucose level in patients with diabetes. This early product is converted into Advanced Glycation End- products (AGEs) by oxidation and condensation reaction. Although the reaction was primarily considered to progress slowly from glucose in vivo, recent studies demonstrate that highly reactive carbonyl compounds produced from the glycolysis, lipid peroxidation by inflammatory responses generate AGEs more rapidly than glucose. Although AGEs is mainly studied in the field of age- related diseases and lifestyle-related diseases, the involvement of AGEs for mental illness, including schizophrenia has been reported as the measurement system of AGEs is gradually established.