Effects of Maillard Reaction Products on Skeletal Muscle Cells: An In Vitro Study Using C2C12 Myotubes

<b>Background</b>: Maillard reaction products (MRPs) are known for their antioxidant properties; however, their effects on muscle cells remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the effects of MRPs on muscle hypertrophy and atrophy in C2C12 myotubes. <b>Methods</b>: MRPs were prepared by heating L-lysine and D-glucose, and their antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Subsequently, mouse C2C12 myoblasts were cultured with MRPs until myotubes formed, and their diameters were measured to assess hypertrophic and atrophic changes. Akt phosphorylation was evaluated by Western blotting, and gene expression levels were analyzed via quantitative PCR. <b>Results</b>: The prepared MRPs exhibited high antioxidant activity in the DPPH radical scavenging assay. MRP treatment significantly increased the average myotube diameter by approximately 40% and enlarged the largest myotube diameter by up to 80%, potentially mediated by enhanced Akt phosphorylation. Under dexamethasone-induced atrophy, MRPs modestly attenuated the reduction in myotube diameter by approximately 20%, although the effect was not statistically significant, and did not significantly alter the fusion index either. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that MRP treatment significantly reduced the mRNA expression of <i>Nfe2l2</i>, a key regulator of antioxidant response, whereas it had no notable effects on the expression of genes related to myoblast proliferation (<i>Myod1</i>), differentiation (<i>Myog</i>), hypertrophy (<i>Igf1</i>), atrophy (<i>Foxo1</i> and <i>Trim63</i>), and oxidative stress (<i>Cat</i>, <i>Gclc</i>, and <i>Nqo1</i>). <b>Conclusions</b>: Our findings suggested that MRPs possess antioxidant activity and promote myotube hypertrophy via Akt signaling. This study highlighted the potential of MRPs as functional ingredients for promoting muscle health, though further in vivo studies are required to validate their physiological relevance.