Formation and elimination of pyrraline in the Maillard reaction in a saccharide-lysine model system

BACKGROUNDPyrraline, a causative factor for various kinds of disease, is also used as a food contaminant to evaluate the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in diet foods. In this study, model systems consisting of lysine and different saccharides were heated at different times, temperatures and initial molar ratios of saccharide to lysine under microwave heating conditions in order to investigate the formation of pyrraline. RESULTSIncrease in initial molar ratio of saccharide to lysine could significantly promote the formation of pyrraline. Specifically, the pyrraline formation rate was influenced by the structure of saccharides involved in the reaction, and decreased in the following order: lactose>fructose>glucose>sucrose; the highest pyrraline was generated in lactose-lysine models. The maximum pyrraline was formed at 140 degrees C. Moreover, saccharides and lysine had different effects on the stability of pyrraline. Among the reactants, lysine was the major factor for the instability of pyrraline; a dipyrraline and a crosslink by pyrraline reacting with lysine could be formed. CONCLUSIONPyrraline formation by the saccharide-lysine model system was a dynamic reaction, consisting not only of the pyrraline formation, but also pyrraline elimination with some formation of crosslinks. (c) 2015 Society of Chemical Industry