title: Thermally induced oxidative decarboxylation of copper complexes of amino acids and formation of strecker aldehyde.
abstract: In the Maillard reaction, independent degradations of amino acids play an important role in the generation of amino-acid-specific products, such as Strecker aldehydes or their Schiff bases. Such oxidative decarboxylation reactions are expected to be enhanced in the presence of metals. Preliminary studies performed through heating of alanine and various metal salts (Cu, Fe, Zn, and Ca) under pyrolytic conditions indicated that copper(II) and iron(III) because of their high oxidation potentials were the only metals able to induce oxidative decarboxylation of amino acids and formation of Strecker aldehyde or its derivatives as detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Furthermore, studies performed with synthetic alanine and glycine copper complexes indicated that they constituted the critical intermediates undergoing free-radical oxidative degradation, followed by the loss of carbon dioxide and the generation of Strecker aldehydes, which were detected either as stable Schiff base adducts or incorporated in moieties, such as pyrazine or pyridine derivatives.
authors: Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University , 21111 Lakeshore, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Quebec H9X 3V9, Canada.
authors: Ossanna
authors: O
authors: Nashalian
authors: Varoujan A
authors: VA
authors: Yaylayan
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000737:chemistry*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D003653:Decarboxylation; D006358:Hot Temperature; D015416:Maillard Reaction; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D000596:Amino Acids; D003300:Copper
keywords: Strecker aldehydes; amino acid metal complexes; metal salts; oxidative decarboxylation of amino acids