Dehydrated Foods, Chemistry of Browning Reactions in Model Systems

Abstract

Many different types of organic reactions lead to the production of brown pigments at moderate temperatures. In spite of many reviews of the subject, there has been no comprehensive organization of the reactions. In this review some relationships are shown to exist among the carbonyl-amino, the nonamino, and the oxidative types of browning. Recent findings have provided the basis for an integration of the several isolated partial theories of browning (Maillard, sugar fission, ascorbic acid, furaldehyde) heretofore proposed. The significance of the occurrence of the Amadori rearrangement in the Maillard reaction is stressed, and a mechanism for browning in sugar-amine systems based upon the rearrangement is outlined. Attention is directed to the little-studied but important role of dehydrogenated reductones in both enzymatic and nonenzymatic browning reactions. Investigations of browning reactions in model systems during the past 3 years are reviewed, with the pertinent older studies, and the results of most of these are shown to fit into the proposed scheme of reactions. A classified directory to the major part of 201 references on browning in nitrogenous model systems (1 940 to March 1953) is included. THE CHEMISTRY OF BROWNING RE-ACTIONS in nitrogenous model systems has been adequately reviewed to the year 1950 by Danehy and Pigman (33).

Non-enzymatic browning in citrus juice: chemical markers, their detection and ways to improve product quality

“…It leads to nice flavors and colors in many foods and however it also leads to undesirable flavors and colors e.g. 'burnt sugar smell' (Hodge 1953).…”

Effect of light on birnessite catalysis of the Maillard reaction and its implication in humification

“…Since then, evidence has accumulated which suggests that natural humic substances may be produced by polycondensation reactions between sugars and amino acids (Hodge 1953;Ikan et al 1996). Further support is lent by the presence of humic substances in marine environments where carbohydrates and proteins, because of their abundance, are more probable precursors of humic substances than are lignin or phenolic polymers (Nissenbaum and Kaplan 1972;Hedges and Parker 1976;Ikan et al 1996).…”

Blue garlic challenge

“…Bulbs of garlic often have a cream color which turns brown on thermal processing [3]. One of the reasons for the appearance of this brown color is the so-called Maillard reaction, in which amino acids react with reducing sugars at high temperature leading to the formation of brown melanoidin [4]. Incidentally, the year 2012 marked the centenary of LouisCamille Maillard's seminal publication on some nonenzymatic browning processes.…”