Abstract:

A papain hydrolysate of mussel juice was prepared and deodorized by sequential treatment with yeast followed
by activated carbon before subjected to Maillard reaction. The optimization of reaction conditions for higher amino nitrogen
contents as well as better color and flavor in Maillard reaction products (MRPs) was carried out using combination of single
factor method and response surface methodology based on sensory evaluation and degree of browning. The results showed
that the optimum conditions for Maillard reaction were 3.3% of reducing sugar, 3.1% of amino acids, 55 min of heating
time, and 8.0 of initial pH. Under these conditions, 17 amino acids were detected in MRPs by high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC), and the contents of total amino acids and essential amino acids revealed an increase by 315.91%
and 428.84%, respectively in comparison with mussel juice, suggesting that the nutrition and flavour of the MRPs were
better, which therefore could provide an ideal material for developing new condiments.

Key words: mussel juice, Maillard reaction, amino acid, Maillard reaction products