Abstract: Objective: To investigate the degradation of peptides produced by double enzymatic hydrolysis of beef with flavourzyme and papain during Maillard reaction and explore the relationship between flavor products and reactants in model system. Methods: Maillard reaction model systems were established by using beef protein hydrolysate and peptides obtained from it as reaction matrix, respectively, and the resultant reaction products were H-MRPs and P-MRPs. The thermodegradation products of beef protein peptides, named as P-TDPs, served as a control. High performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and GC-MS were used for the comparative analysis of beef protein peptides and volatile compounds generated from Maillard reaction, respectively. Results: P-MRPs and P-TDPs showed different HPSEC chromatograms. Totally 36 compounds were detected in H-MRPs and the number of compounds found in P-MRPs was 31. The majority of peptides participating in Maillard reaction had a molecular weight from 1000 to 2000D. Furans and furanones were the major products from the degradation of carbohydrates. Pyrazines were produced from the reaction of peptide and xylose. Thiazole, thiophene and thiols were generated from the degradation of thiamin.

Key words: beef, protein hydrolysated peptide, Maillard reaction, degradation