La réaction de Maillard dans les aliments : quels enjeux pour la santé humaine ?

The Maillard reaction is a complex mixture of temperature-dependent reactions between carbonyl compounds derived from sugars, lipids, and vitamins heat degradation products, and amino groups of amino acids, proteins or DNA. Among the numerous Maillard products (MP) formed, some are considered to raise safety problems because of their carcinogenicity, or pro-oxidant and inflammatory bioactivity. MP are produced in severely heat-treated food and partially absorbed, while reaching the endogeous pool of MP formed from glucose and lipid metabolites and biological proteins or DNA. If uncompletely degraded and/or excreted, they accumulate and promote the secretion of cytokines which are involved in the development of degenerative processes. The specific contribution of dietary MP in those physiopathological phenomena remains unknown. However, risk prevention supposes to control MP formation in food, while maintaining satisfactory sensorial quality.