Technical Report for a Study on the Mechanism and Control of Non-Enzymatic Browning Reaction in Gamma-Irradiated Food

Gamma irradiation leads to a non-enzymatic browning reaction (carbonyl -amine reaction) in an aqueous system similar to those induced in a heated one. This reaction may influence the changes of the color in irradiated foods. The intensity of the reaction was dependent on the type of the sugar, if the occurrence is by irradiation or by heating. There was a difference in the browning reaction between irradiation and heating. Although no browning was observed in the heated solution of the non-reducing sugar, the formation of colored products was observed in the irradiated sucrose-lysine solution. It could be explained on the basis that irradiation promotes the breakdown of the glycosidic linkages of the disaccharide, sucrose and the produce of a reducing power. The high molecular weight melanoidin (> MW 12,000-14,000 Da) was produced by gamma irradiation from the non-enzymatic browning reaction between glucose and glycine. The structure of melanoidin was similar to melanodin from heat processing. The results suggested that gamma-irradiation occurred the non-enzymatic browning reaction that is similar the reaction by heat processing. Non-enzymatic browning reaction during gamma-irradiation processing was greatly influenced by pH and medium of reaction system. The brown color development of irradiated sugar solutions with and without glycine is more increased in buffer system especially with alkaline pH than DDW. When food is irradiated, off-color such as browning can be produced due to the non-enzymatic browning reaction and it is influenced by other ions and/or pH of system. This suggests that the browning of irradiated food might be retarded by lowering the pH of the system. Gamma-irradiation produce the free radical and the radiolysis products of sugar and glycine and then they may be condensed to colored products during post-irradiation. However, when the food is irradiated in frozen state, the production of free radical and radiolysis product is inhibited and it may prevent the browning reaction