Effectively inhibiting the formation of heterocyclic amines (HAs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is crucial to human health. In the present study, chemical model systems were used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of seven hydrocolloids on HA and AGE formation. The results showed that hydrocolloids effectively inhibited the formation of two major AGEs. However, their inhibitory action against HA formation showed unexpected results, wherein alginic acid, carrageenan and konjac glucomannan promoted the formation of 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), harmane, norharmane and 2-amino-3,8-dimethyl-imidazo [4,5-f]-quinoline (MeIQx). Only chitosan and pectin showed significant inhibitory effects on HAs, reducing HA levels by 34.5-56.3% and 30.1-56.6%, respectively. In grilled beef patties, the addition of 1.5% chitosan and pectin significantly decreased AGE and HA content by 53.8-67.0% and 46.9-68.1%, respectively. Moreover, it had a limited impact on quality and sensory properties. Further mechanism studies conducted in model systems revealed that chitosan and pectin decreased the formation of key intermediates of AGEs and HAs. These findings suggest that chitosan and pectin are powerful inhibitors against AGE and HA formation with minimal impact on food quality. Therefore, their application in meat preparation and processing could effectively decrease human dietary exposure to HAs and AGEs.
Keywords: advanced glycation end products; chemical model system; grilled beef patties; heterocyclic amines; hydrocolloids.