Maillard Examples

The Maillard Reaction

• A reaction between the carbonyl of a
reducing sugar and the amino group of an
amino acid. E.g. maltose and glycine
 Effect of sugars
• 200mg of glycine and 200mg sugars
dissolved in 2mL of water
• Heated 30 min at 120C
• Sugars
– Xylose Glycine
– Ribose
– Glucose
– Maltose
 Effect of sugars
• Maltose disaccharide least reactive

• Glucose 6 carbon monosaccharide more

reactive
 Effect of sugars
• Pentose sugars 5 Carbon atoms are the most
reactive
• Xylose and Ribose

• Glucose occurs in many places

• Ribose is a sugar found in meats (DNA, RNA)
 Effect of sugars - aroma
• Reaction products smell of
– Popcorn, toffee, caramel, burnt.
• The amino acid glycine is structurally
simple and does not lead to complex
aromas
• The amino acid has accelerated sugar
degradation leading to aromas typical of
caramelisation
 Effect of Water Activity (AW)

• Samples 200mg glucose, 200mg glycine,

2g starch + different amount of water
• 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4mL water
• Heated 30min at 120°C
 Effect of Water Activity (AW)
• Water dissolves reactants and increases the
reaction
• With no water some reaction in patches
– The reaction generates water leading to more reaction
taking place
• Reaction greatest at AW 0.6 to 0.7
• Many products (baked goods, meat) start
cooking with high water activity (1.0); these dry
during cooking to optimum Aw – concentrates
reactants with enough mobility to react.
• Also lower moisture allows temperatures >100°C
 Effect of water activity

Reaction
Rate

0 1.0
Water Activity
Dry Wet
 Effect of pH
• 8g of glucose and 8g of glycine were
dissolved in 80mL distilled water.
• Aliquots were adjusted to pH 2, 4, 7 and 8
using HCl or NaOH solutions.
• Heated 30 min at 120C
 Effect of pH
• pH affects colour and aroma formation
• As samples go from acidic pH 2 to basic pH 8
reaction increases
• At low pH the excess protons (H+) ionise the
amino group
R-NH2 + H+ → R-NH3+
• NH3+ is far less reactive – less Maillard reaction
• Controlling pH of products for microbial stability
will affect the Maillard reaction
 Effect of pH

Reaction
Rate

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
pH
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
 Influence of amino acids
• 200mg glucose and 200mg amino acids
dissolved in 2mL of water
• Heated 30 min at 120C
• Amino acids
– Glycine
– Proline
– Lysine
– Cysteine
 Effect of Amino Acids
• Amino acids affect rate of reaction
– Alters colour and aroma formation
• Lysine 2 amino groups
– Very reactive

• Glycine simple amino acid

– Forms colour
– Not much aroma
 Effect of Amino Acids
• Proline amino group in ring
– Less reactive
– Leads to bread aroma

• Cysteine sulfur containing amino acid

– Forms little colour
– stronger aroma
 Effect of Temperature
• 200mg of glucose, 200mg of glycine
combined with 2g of water
• Heated for 30 min at:
60C, 80C, 100C or 120C.
 Effect of Temperature
• Reaction rates increase with temperature
• 60°C little reaction
• 80°C some colour formation
• 100°C reaction rate increase
– Soups gently boiling (high Aw foods)
• 120°C high reaction rate
– Roasting/baking higher temperature, lower Aw
makes this possible
 Effect of temperature

Reaction
Rate

50 100 150 200

Temperature (°C)
 Effect of Temperature - Aroma
• At low temperature can get popcorn, burnt,
caramel, toffee from caramelisation
– Caramelisation needs less heat to start the
reaction
• Maillard gives additional aroma
compounds (dependent on amino acid),
but, needs more energy/heat to activate
the reaction
 Ajinomoto Recipe
• Proline 300mg
• Cysteine 70mg
• Methionine 20mg
• Ribose 70mg
• Glycerol 1g
• Water 0.5ml

• Prepared and heated at 120C for 30 min.

 The Ajinomoto Chemistry
Reactants:
• Cysteine and Methionine contain sulfur
– Sulfur key to many meaty aromas
• Ribose – very reactive meat sugar
• Proline – large amounts, less reactive on its
own. Will give base aroma and interact with
other reactants.
Reaction conditions:
• Water stimulates the reaction
• Glycerol modifies the water activity
• Both enhance reactant mobility
 Uses of flavourings
• Can be made as a vegetarian flavour if
ingredients from non-meat sources
• Flavourings can be used to boost flavour in
products or flavour snack products (e.g. crisps)
• This recipe is for general roast meat
• Different recipes give chicken etc.
• Ajinomoto company markets a range of thermal
reaction flavours for different applications