A Literature Review on Maillard Reaction Based on Milk Proteins and Carbohydrates in Food and Pharmaceutical Products: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Avoidance Strategies

Abstract

Milk has two main components that have high nutritional value—milk protein (casein and whey protein), and lactose. These components are extensively used in various areas, especially in food, i.e., as sweeteners, stabilizers, functional food ingredients, nutritional fortifiers, etc. Non-enzymatic browning refers to a series of chemical reactions between sugars and proteins that make food more appetizing. Non-enzymatic browning reactions include degradation of ascorbic acid, lipid peroxidation, caramel reaction, and the Maillard reaction (MR). The MR, as one of the four non-enzymatic browning reactions, has been well studied and utilized in food fields. Milk protein and lactose, as two main components of milk, have high chemical activities; they are used as reactants to participate in the MR, generating Maillard reaction products (MRPs). The MR involves a condensation reaction between carbonyl groups of various sugars and amino groups of amino acids/proteins. These MRPs have different applications in various areas, including food flavor, food oxidation resistance, drug carriers, etc. This work presents the positive and negative effects of the MR, based on the two main components of milk, used in food and medicine, as well as avoidance approaches to prevent the occurrence of negative effects.

Application of Operating Room Nursing Intervention to Incision Infection of Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Surgery Can Reduce Complications and Improve Gastrointestinal Function

“…At the same time, due to the stimulation of anesthetics, traction and other factors, patients are very likely to suffer from inhibition of gastrointestinal peristalsis after surgery, which in turn leads to symptoms of gastrointestinal dysfunction, such as non-flatus, non-defecation and abdominal distension. This may affect the surgical effect and rehabilitation process of patients (17)(18)(19). This study showed that the patients in the operating room nursing group had lower anal exhaust time, first defecation time, and gastric tube removal time than those in the conventional nursing group.…”

Different Thermal Treatment Methods and TGase Addition Affect Gel Quality and Flavour Characteristics of Decapterus maruadsi Surimi Products

“…2-ethylfuran and 2-pentylfuran are considered to have a meaty and caramel flavor, and methylpyrazine has a barbecue flavor, both of which can be obtained by the Maillard reaction [ 57 ]. Their higher detection intensities in back-pressure sterilized D. maruadsi surimi products (BAC) may be due to the combination of the higher moisture content and the heat treatment temperature (110 °C) which facilitates the Maillard reaction [ 68 ]. This also resulted in higher detection intensity for all other types of volatile compounds in BAC.…”

Analytical Characterization of the Widely Consumed Commercialized Fermented Beverages from Russia (Kefir and Ryazhenka) and South Africa (Amasi and Mahewu): Potential Functional Properties and Profiles of Volatile Organic Compounds

“…In ryazhenka, the presence of furfuryl alcohol (possessing a distinctive burnt caramel flavor) as well as the abundance of ketones, can be attributed to the baking process that initiates the Maillard reaction in milk [ 51 ]. It should be noted that, except for furfuryl alcohol, there were no other products of the Maillard reaction (i.e., 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone and 2-methylbutyric acid/2-methyl-3-(methyldithio)furan) with a caramel flavor detected in ryazhenka, in contrast to the ryazhenka-like product [ 47 ].…”