Melanoidins as a potential functional food ingredient

•Melanoidins are final Maillard products well-distributed in thermally processed foods.•Melanoidins are not biologically inert food constituents.•Different techniques allow melanoidin extraction from foods and by-products.•Potential of melanoidins as a functional ingredient is explored through literature.

Melanoidins are high molecular weight, brown-coloured and nitrogen-containing compounds generated in the late stages of the Maillard reaction. These products are mainly responsible for specific colour and typical appearance of processed foods, which greatly improve the acceptance by consumers. However, the current importance of melanoidins is linked with their health-promoting properties. Many beneficial effects have been associated to these compounds, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive or prebiotic activity. For this reason, recent studies have been focused on the potential use of melanoidins present in both foods and by-products of foods as functional ingredients in the search for healthier and tasty foods. This review explores the last scientific literature concerning the suitability of melanoidins as a new bioactive component of foods.