Abstract: Foods rich in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids will undergo an intense Maillard reaction during thermal processing, generating a large amount of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) including low-molecular-mass compounds and melanoids, which have a variety of biological activities, as well as advanced glycation end products and acrylamide as potential health risk factors, which can accelerate the aging process or cause chronic degenerative diseases. This review presents the biological activities of MRPs including antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities, discusses the mechanism by which harmful compounds produced during Maillard reaction such as advanced glycation end products and acrylamide damage the human body, and proposes some preventive countermeasures. We expect that this review will provide a scientific reference for further research on Maillard reaction.

Key words: Maillard reaction; biological activity; advanced glycation end products; acrylamide; toxicity