Glycation End Products: Markers of Ageing and Age-Related Diseases. What is the Cause and Can It Be Controlled?

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs/AGE) are represented by a large heterogeneous family of sugar-modified proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids associated with numerous age-related diseases including diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease, oncogenesis, etc [1-5].

At the Nutrition Research Institute of the Republic of Korea, specialised probiotics were selected and developed from 700 types of lactic acid bacteria derived from traditional Korean foods: sauerkraut (KimChi) and soy sauce; with detection of efficacy in the degradation of AGE foods. Strains were identified and analysed by 16S sequencing, biochemical analysis (API 50CHB) was used, enzymatic properties were studied (API Zym), and utilized food ingredients (DB) were analysed. Subsequently, selection of suitable strains was carried out. As a result, an active strain of Lactococcus lactis KF140 capable of significantly degrading CPG was obtained and patented (Park Ho Young et al., 2018).

In a double-blind randomised study on healthy volunteers, this probiotic strain was shown to reduce blood levels of carboxymethyllysine, one of the most potent pro-oxidants of AGEs, by 90% (P < 0.001) after 26 days of supplementation with a Parmesan cheese loading diet. The strain was also found to reduce ALT (P < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.01), and glycated haemoglobin levels from 5.0% to 4.7% and AST levels from 19.1 to 15.4 U/L, respectively. One of the mechanisms of the strain's effect on carboxymethyllysine levels was related to the activity of the enzyme β-lactosidase, as shown in in vitro experiments. In addition, the administration of KF-140 altered the abundance of 11 intestinal microbes at the species level. This probiotic strain is included in commercial dietary supplements. Thus, Lactococcus lactis strain KF140, along with correction of the microbiota, is considered as a promising substance to reduce the accumulation of AGE-products and, accordingly, as one of the factors in preventing the development of age-associated diseases and oxidative stress in chronic inflammation.

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