title: Sugar fragmentation in the maillard reaction cascade: formation of short-chain carboxylic acids by a new oxidative alpha-dicarbonyl cleavage pathway.
abstract: The formation of short-chain carboxylic acids was studied in Maillard model systems (90 degrees C, pH 6-10) with emphasis on the role of oxygen and water. The total amount of acetic acid formed did not depend on the reaction atmosphere. In the presence of labeled dioxygen or water (18O2, H2 17O), labeled oxygen was partially incorporated into acetic acid. Thermal treatment of 1-deoxy-d-erythro-2,3-hexodiulose (1) and 3-deoxy-d-erythro-hexos-2-ulose in the presence of 17O-enriched water under alkaline conditions led to acetic and formic acid, respectively, as indicated by 17O NMR spectroscopy. The suggested mechanism involves an oxidative alpha-dicarbonyl cleavage leading to an intermediary mixed acid anhydride that releases the acids, e.g., acetic and erythronic acid, from 1. Similarly, glyceric and lactic acids were formed from 1-deoxy-3,4-hexodiuloses, corroborated by complementary analytical techniques. This paper provides for the first time evidence for the direct formation of acids from C6-alpha-dicarbonyls by an oxidative mechanism and incorporation of a 17OH group into the carboxylic moiety. The experimental data obtained support the coexistence of at least two newly described reaction mechanisms leading to carboxylic acids, i.e., (i) a hydrolytic beta-dicarbonyl cleavage as a major pathway and (ii) an alternative minor pathway via oxidative alpha-dicarbonyl cleavage induced by oxidizing species.
authors.affiliation: Nestlé Research Center, P.O. Box 44, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland, and Nestlé Product Technology Center Orbe, 1350 Orbe, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Davídek
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devaud
authors.forename: Francia Arce
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Vera
authors.forename: Imre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blank
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D002087:Butyrates / Q000737:chemistry; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D005988:Glyceric Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015416:Maillard Reaction; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005988:Glyceric Acids; C121691:erythronic acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; C042971:glyceric acid; D005947:Glucose; D019342:Acetic Acid; D010100:Oxygen