Publication Abstract

The Isolation and Characterisation of Potential Antioxidants from Heated Histidine-Glucose Model Systems

The Isolation and Characterisation of Potential Antioxidants from Heated Histidine-Glucose Model Systems

By P. Bersuder and M. Hole

The observation of the formation of antioxidative compounds during the Maillard reaction has been made since 1954,^1-3 and to date, a substantial amount of work has been carried out on the antioxidative effects of Maillard reaction products (MRP), the factors affecting their formation and the isolation of active compounds. The main factors affecting the yield of antioxidant compounds are known to be pH,^4-6 nature and molar ratio of initial reactants,^5,7-9 water activity,^10-11 temperature and heating time.^4,6,12-14 The antioxidant activity of MRP is believed to be a result of multiple mechanisms such as (i) free radical termination,^6,15-16 (ii) metal chelating ability,^6,15,17-19 (iii) active oxygen species scavenging,^20-22 (iv) hydroperoxide destruction,^6,16 (v) synergism^{.6,7,15,23-24}

However, despite the volume of literature regarding antioxidant aspects of MRP, reports of the elucidation of the structural characteristics of these antioxidative MRP are scarce. This lack of structural knowledge of antioxidative MRP is mainly a result of the complexity of the reaction mixtures, even when prepared from simple amino acid-sugar model systems, and the lack of stability of components. As a consequence, it is difficult to isolate sufficient amounts of pure compounds to allow structural identification and the assessment of antioxidative activity.

The aims of this study were to separate and identify Maillard reaction products obtained from a histidine-glucose model system with potential antioxidative activity.

Reference:

P. Bersuder and M. Hole. 2003. The Isolation and Characterisation of Potential Antioxidants from Heated Histidine-Glucose Model Systems. pp 158-166 EUR 20722-COST Action 919- Melanoidins in Food and Health - Volume 4

P. Bersuder* and M. Hole

pp 158-166 In: EUR 20722-COST Action 919- Melanoidins in Food and Health - Volume 4 (Ed. by G. Vegarud and F. J. Morales). European Commission, Luxembourg