Objective: Maillard advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are connected with high dry temperature food processing, color and flavor modification of food products. Oral cavity pathology is strongly influenced by dietary intake. The aim of the present paper is to update current data regarding the sources and metabolism of AGEs, their impact on oral cavity tissues, to discuss and suggest new approaches for the early diagnosis and efficient treatment of AGEs-related oral pathology. Design: This paper is a narrative review of the studies discussing AGEs and mainly the dietary AGEs (dAGEs) sources, metabolism, linkage to general diseases, and specifically the oral cavity pathology. The authors used “PUBMED” and MeSH for the finding of English written and published articles concerning AGEs. There were used the next keywords association: “advanced glycation end products- AGEs” AND “Maillard products”, “AGEs” AND “diet-related disease, “AGEs” AND “salivary biosensor”, “AGEs” AND “metabolic syndrome AGEs”, “AGEs” AND “oral pathology”, “AGEs” AND “dentin AGEs” OR “periodontal AGEs”, “AGEs” AND “diagnosis and monitoring”. The authors used free full-text articles to determine the etiology and physiopathology of AGEs, their association with general diseases and oral cavity disease, assessment methods used in biofluids and tissues, AGEs prevention and treatment approaches. Articles concerning AGEs etiology, metabolism and effect in the human body and specific implication in oral pathology were selected. There were no exclusion criteria in what concerns the study design. Studies in other language than English and articles abstracts were excluded. Criteria of inclusion were free full-text articles written in English. Equally human and animal model studies were included. Regarding the date of publication, all subjects concerning glycation products after 1953 (first published article) were included. Results: Evidence show that AGEs are responsible for inducing low intensity chronic inflammation and thereby, for initiating and/or aggravating chronic diseases. Nowadays, research has demonstrated a significant association between AGEs and dental or periodontal pathology. Moreover, salivary AGEs are consistent with the levels of AGEs in other biological fluids and are correlated with the general and oral pathology. Conclusions: Assessment of salivary AGEs could be a reliable tool for early diagnosis and monitoring diet-related disease.

Introduction

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are final products of Maillard reaction. They were discovered by Louis-Camille Maillard in 1912, while he was trying to synthesize in vitro proteins by using a high temperature reaction between amino acids and sugars (Zhang, Ames, Smith, Baynes, & Metz, 2009). In 1953, John E. Hodge published an article in which he divided the reaction and in 1986, the formation of reducing sugar-derived carbonyl products was added to the Maillard chain reaction (Hodge, 1953). It was associated with the flavor and pleasant scent of food, but also with oxidative stress production, local and general inflammation, and last but not least, mutagenic dicarbonyl compounds (Nagao, Takahashi, Yamanaka, & Sugimura, 1979). In medical research, AGEs have been associated to ROS (reactive oxygen species) increase, with consequent generation of oxidative or carbonyl stress. Thus, ROS exert negative effects resulting in inflammatory, autoimmune, diet-related diseases. Comparing to the discovery of the Maillard reaction products, the hypothesis of the implication of AGEs in periodontitis and dental pathology was founded at a later time. Several studies have revealed a strong association between the accumulation of AGEs and the occurrence or worsening of metabolic diseases. However, the routine use of AGEs salivary levels for the diagnosis or monitoring the oral diseases has not been yet reported.