Abstract

The influence of oxygen on the thermal treatment (TT) of secondary metabolite-enriched extracts (SMEEs) from T & oacute;rtola beans and procyanidin C1 (PC1) on the inhibition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generation in proteins was investigated. SMEE was incubated at 4 degrees C (control) or thermally treated at 60 degrees C for 2 h, at either 0 % O-2 (I) or 20 % O-2 (II). Treatments I and II increased the content of procyanidin dimers B2. Treatment II was more effective than the control or treatment I in preventing homocysteine oxidation and AGEs generation. TT of PC1 at 0 % or 20 % O-2 generated procyanidin dimers and tetramers. PC1 TT at 20 % O-2 exhibited higher oxidation potentials and lower IC50 values of fluorescent AGEs than those of controls or TT at 0 % O-2. These findings indicate that SMEE from T & oacute;rtola beans after treatment II changes the degree of polymerization and oxidation procyanidins, thereby increasing their antiglycation activity.