Radiation induced Maillard reactions (the kinetic of colour formation during heating)

The results are presented of the investigation of the effect of ionizing radiation from 60Co on the acceleration of the Maillard reactions in a model system containing an aqueous solution of fructose (F) at 0.03 mol/dm3 and alanine (Ala) at 0.01 mol/dm3. Solutions of F/Ala irradiated with 5 to 30 kGy at a dose rate 1.4 Gy/s were then heated for a few hours at different temperatures: 400, 600, 800, and 1000 deg C. The colour intensity of the solutions was measured via their absorbance at 450 nm. The reaction constant estimates increased with increasing radiation dose and temperature. The activation energy of colour development determined over the range of 600 deg C to 1000 deg C decreased with dose from 70.6 kJ/mol for 5 kGy to 60.7 kJ/mol for 30 kGy. The results confirmed the formation of carbonyl products from fructose radiolysis and their participation in the acceleration of the non-enzymatic browning reactions. The aldehyde products formed from the amino acids as a result of the Strecker degradation are responsible for the formation of odour typical of the Maillard reaction during heating. The changes in the F and Ala concentrations during irradiation of the solutions were proportional to the radiation dose. The radiation yield of fructose and alanine decomposition was G = 2.6 and 0.22, respectively. In the irradiated solutions of F/Ala, serine has been found, which has not been mentioned so far as a product of alanine radiolysis. The study demonstrates the influence of radiation and acceleration of the Maillard reaction during subsequent heating at 400 deg C up to 1000 deg C of systems containing reducing sugars and amino acids. It should be taken under consideration in the studies on introducing radiation technology of food products preservation connected with further thermal treatment