Pyrolysis GC-MS analysis of Amadori compounds derived from selected amino acids and glucose

Amadori compounds from different natural products demonstrate significant differences in aroma characteristics when exposed to elevated temperatures. In the presented work, we analyzed the products formed during thermal degradation of selected Amadori compounds wherein the sugar component of the Amadori compound structure was held constant. Examination of the gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric data resulting from the pyrolysis allowed us to determine the chemical composition and structure of the major volatile and semi-volatile components produced. These findings permitted us to unambiguously relate the formation of compounds with specific functional groups to the amino acid moiety of the Amadori compound. We were also able to relate these findings directly to previous findings for similar reactions conducted in aqueous media. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.