Current Developments in Analytical Methods for Advanced Glycation End Products in Foods

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) derived from food are compounds readily formed during heating and processing through non-enzymatic glycation reactions such as the Maillard reaction. Since a variety and quantity of AGEs are formed within shorter times in food than in the body, their long-term excessive intake is a growing concern as a contributing factor to the onset of various diseases, including diabetes and age-related diseases. Therefore, investigating the formation and presence of AGEs in food and understanding their contribution to health risks has become critically important. Since AGEs with different characteristics exist in various forms in foods, it is essential to develop efficient sample preparation and sensitive and accurate analytical methods. Generally, analysis of free AGEs requires deproteinization, and bound AGEs are hydrolyzed using hydrochloric acid or enzymes to form free AGEs, which are then purified by defatting, reduction, and solid-phase extraction. While immunological techniques and instrumental analytical methods such as chromatography have been developed for the detection and analysis of AGEs, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is widely used due to its high sensitivity, specificity, and operability. This review summarizes trends and challenges in sample preparation and analytical techniques for analyzing AGE formation and presence in food, based on papers reported over the past 20 years.