Enhancing Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) Inhibitory Activity Through Green Processing Techniques

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are implicated in the progression of chronic diseases like diabetes, making the discovery of natural AGEs inhibitors crucial for therapeutic and preventive strategies. Agricultural byproducts, such as canola and soybean meal, are underutilized yet rich in bioactive compounds with potential AGEs inhibitory activity. Developing sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques, such as microbial fermentation, to enhance the bioactivity of these byproducts aligns with the goals of waste valorization and sustainable innovation.

Objective
This study aimed to:

< ![if !supportLists] >·         < ![endif] >Extract and evaluate the antioxidant and AGEs inhibitory activities of canola and soybean meals and their composite mixtures.

< ![if !supportLists] >·         < ![endif] >Optimize the formulation of composite mixtures for maximal AGEs inhibitory activity.

< ![if !supportLists] >·         < ![endif] >Investigate whether green processing techniques, such as microbial fermentation, can enhance the AGEs inhibitory potential of these agricultural byproducts.

Methods

Crude methanolic extracts of hexane-extracted canola meal (HECM), cold-pressed soybean meal (CPSM), and their composite mixtures (CO) were prepared using a simplex lattice mixture design (SLMD). Five mixtures with varying fractions of HECM and CPSM (0–100%) were extracted with 80% aqueous methanol. The extracts were analyzed for total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activities, and AGEs inhibitory activities. Numerical optimization was performed to identify the mixture with the highest AGEs inhibitory activity. Subsequently, microbial fermentation using bacteria and fungi is being explored to further enhance the AGEs inhibitory potential of the byproducts.

Results
HECM extracts showed higher TPC, TFC, antioxidant, and AGEs inhibitory activities than CPSM. SLMD optimization revealed that a mixture with 87.06% HECM and 12.94% CPSM maximized AGEs inhibition. Ongoing fermentation studies suggest that green processing methods can further enhance bioactive compound levels, contributing to sustainable waste valorization and potential pharmaceutical applications.