Maillard reaction products derived from heat-dried green tomato increase longevity and neuroprotection in Caenorhabditis elegans

摘要

Maillard reaction products (MRPs) produced during thermal processing and storage of foods have received considerable attention because of their potential antioxidant activity. We investigated whether heat-dried tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) extracts and their MRPs confer longevity and neuroprotective effects in Caenorhabditis elegans. Heat-drying of mature green tomato resulted in increased absorbance at 294 nm and 420 nm, which indicated the presence of MRPs. Heat-dried green tomato extract and its MRP fraction exhibited DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and significantly extended the lifespan of C. elegans. The MRP fraction protected against beta-amyloid-, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-, and H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in C. elegans. These results suggest that the dry processing of unripe green tomato induces MRP formation that might protect against neurodegeneration.