Maillard degradation pathways of vitamin C

Just like β-keto acids—which upon thermal decarboxylation form ketones—β-dicarboxylic acids undergo decarboxylation to generate monocarboxylic acids with the liberation of carbon dioxide.

Glutathione, a tripeptide made up of glutamate, cysteine, and glycine, is a critical player in the detoxification of drugs and xenobiotics via a process known as glutathione conjugation or mercapturic acid formation. This phase II biotransformation reaction involves the covalent binding of glutathione to a drug or its metabolite, enhancing the compound's water solubility and enabling its excretion.
Several distinctive characteristics distinguish glutathione conjugation from other phase II...

The citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs cycle or TCA cycle, consists of several energy-generating reactions that yield one ATP molecule, three NADH molecules, one FADH2 molecule, and two CO2 molecules.

In aerobic organisms, the citric acid cycle is the second stage of cellular respiration wherein molecules derived from the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are oxidized into carbon dioxide and energy. This process is also known as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle as the first product of the cycle, citric acid, contains three carboxyl groups in its structure. Alternatively, this cycle is also referred to as the Krebs cycle, in honor of its discoverer Sir Hans Krebs.
The citric...

The citric acid cycle is termed an amphibolic pathway as it operates both anabolically and catabolically. The cyclic reactions balance the flux of the substrates to provide an optimal concentration of NADH and ATP to the cell.
Regulation of Citric Acid Cycle
The citric acid cycle is regulated in several ways, including feedback inhibition, regulation of enzyme activities, and associated anaplerotic or cataplerotic pathways.
The primary substrate of the TCA cycle—acetyl CoA—is produced by the...

Microorganisms rely on proteins as an essential carbon and energy source, particularly in environments with limited polysaccharides or lipids. However, proteins are too large to cross the plasma membrane unaided, necessitating enzymatic degradation. Microbes secrete extracellular proteases and peptidases that hydrolyze proteins into peptides, which can then be transported across the membrane. Once inside the cell, intracellular proteases degrade these peptides into free amino acids, which...