Abstract:

In order to investigate the effect of reaction conditions on the formation of volatile compounds from Maillard
reaction of glucose and phenylalanine/alanine, the generated volatile compounds at different reactant ratios and reaction
time were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated that: 1) the effect of reaction
time on the formation of volatile compounds from glucose/phenylalanine and glucose/alanine model systems were similar.
With increasing reaction time, the yields of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, furans, organic acids, pyridines, pyrroles,
furanones and carbocyclic compounds increased, while the yield of pyranones increased at first and decreased afterwards;
2) the effects of reactant ratio on the formation of volatile compounds from glucose/phenylalanine and glucose/alanine
model systems were different. As the content of amino acid increased in glucose/phenylalanine model system, the yield of
aromatic compounds increased and aliphatic compounds decreased, while the opposite trend was observed in glucose/alanine
model system. The yields of pyrazines, organic acids, pyranones, pyridines, pyrroles, carbocyclic compounds and furanones
increased with increasing amino acid content in both model systems.

Key words: Maillard reaction, glucose/phenylalanine, glucose/alanine, reaction condition, volatile compounds