Obtaining glycoconjugates of marine origin via Maillard reaction and their cytotoxic effect: an alternative for the use of animal byproducts

BACKGROUND: Protein glycation by Maillard reaction is commonly used to improve the functional and bioactive properties of food proteins. It is also known that this glycation method can be accelerated by heat without the need for chemical reagents that could be harmful to health. In this study, glycoconjugates were obtained from a mixture of connective tissue proteins (CTP) from jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) and two different sugars, dextran (DEX; 10 kDa) and glucose (GLU), using protein‐to‐carbohydrate ratios of 1:2 and 1:3, in solution at 50 °C for 6 h. The glycation products were characterized by means of their physicochemical properties and cytotoxic effect. RESULTS: The intensity of the browning measured at A₄₂₀ₙₘ and A₂₉₄ₙₘ in glycoconjugates showed no significant difference (P