Aim:  To investigate the effect of native, heated and glycated bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the ulcerative colitis (UC) and non‐UC colonic microbiota in vitro. Methods and Results:  Continuous flow culture (CFC) models of the human colonic microbiota inoculated with faeces from UC and non‐UC volunteers were maintained on BSA as growth substrate. Changes in bacterial populations and short‐chain fatty acids were determined. UC and non‐UC microbiota differed significantly in microbial populations, with elevated numbers of sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) and clostridia in the microbiota from UC patients. Compared with native BSA, glycated BSA modulated the gut microbiota of UC patients in vitro towards a more detrimental community structure with significant increases in putatively harmful bacteria (clostridia, bacteroides and SRB; P < 0·009) and decreases in dominant and putatively beneficial bacterial groups (eubacteria and bifidobacteria; P < 0·0004). The levels of beneficial short‐chain fatty acids were significantly decreased by heated or glycated BSA, but were increased significantly by native BSA. Conclusion:  The UC colonic microbiota maintained in CFC was significantly modified by glycated BSA. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Results suggest that dietary glycated protein may impact upon the composition and activity of the colonic microbiota, an important environmental variable in UC.

When foods are heat processed, the sugars and lipids react with the proteins they contain via the Maillard and related reactions to form a wide range of products. As a result, the sensory, safety, nutritional and health-promoting attributes of the foods are affected. Reaction products include advanced glycation/lipoxidation endproducts (AGE/ALEs), acrylamide and heterocyclic amines (HAA), all of which may impact on human health and disease. Furthermore, some Maillard reaction products affect the growth of colonic bacteria and thermally-induced modification of dietary protein can affect allergenicity. This paper briefly reviews aspects of the Maillard reaction in food related to human health.

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