INVESTIGATION OF THE REACTION BETWEEN N-ALPHA-ACETYL-L-LYSINAMIDE ANDGLUCOSE BY ELECTROSPRAY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

The products of the reaction between N-alpha-acetyl-L-lysinamide and g lucose were examined by electrospray mass spectrometry coupled with ca pillary zone electrophoresis. The complexity of the reaction mixture r esulted in an electropherogram in which the different components were not fully separated. However, the majority of the observed peaks could be rationalized in terms of protonated or cationized molecules origin ating from the Maillard reaction pattern. Among these, worth noting is the presence of lysine-glucose adducts exhibiting different degrees o f dehydration and oxidation. Furthermore, molecular species originatin g from the addition of two lysine molecules on the same glucose were d etected, giving experimental evidence for cross-linking processes whic h occur on proteic substrates exposed to high glucose concentrations.