Interaction pattern of histidine, carnosine and histamine with methylglyoxal and other carbonyl compounds

The ability of histidine to scavenge sugar-derived 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds was investigated using aqueous methanolic model systems containing histidine or histamine in the presence of glucose, methylglyoxal, or glyoxal. The samples were prepared either at room temperature (RT) or at 150 °C and analyzed using ESI-qTOF-MS/MS and isotope labeling technique. Replacing glucose with [U-¹³C₆]glucose allowed the identification of glucose carbon atoms incorporated in the products. Various sugar-generated carbonyl compounds ranging in size from C1 to C6 were captured by histidine or histamine. The majority of the fragments incorporated were either C3 or C2 units originating from glyoxal (C2) or methylglyoxal (C3). The ESI-qTOF-MS/MS analysis indicated that histamine could react with either of the two carbonyl carbons of methylglyoxal utilizing the α-amino group and/or the imidazolium moiety. Furthermore, when histidine was added to 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine (PhIP) generating model system, it completely suppressed the formation of PhIP due to scavenging of phenylacetaldehyde.