Characteristics and antioxidant activity of Maillard reaction products from α-lactalbumin and 2′-fucosyllactose

摘要

The characteristics and antioxidant activity of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) from 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL), a human milk oligosaccharide, and alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) were investigated. MRPs were prepared by reacting 2'-FL with alpha-LA at 60 degrees C and 79% relative humidity for up to 72 h. The absorbance and fluorescence intensity of heated alpha-LA-2'-FL increased as the heating time increased, while the free amino group content decreased, confirming that 2'-FL reacted with alpha-LA and produced various MRPs at different incubation stages. Conjugates of 2'-FL and alpha-LA and aggregation of alpha-LA were observed by SDS-PAGE. The secondary structure of alpha-LA did not change significantly after reacting with 2'-FL. In terms of antioxidant activity, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and reducing power of alpha-LA-2'-FL increased significantly when compared with the protein only sample (p < 0.05). The findings provide a foundation for the characterization and functional analysis of MRPs in dairy products.