Reinvestigation of the chemical structure of bitter-tasting quinizolate and homoquinizolate and studies on their Maillard-type formation pathways using suitable (13)C-labeling experiments

Sensory evaluation, chemical structures, and threshold concentrations of bitter-tasting compounds in common foodstuffs derived from plants and maillard reaction: A review

The bitterness of foodstuffs is often associated with toxicity, which negatively influences product acceptability. However, bitter compounds have many benefits, and a slight bitter taste is sometimes favored. In this review, we summarize the methods used to isolate and evaluate the taste of bitter compounds in different foods. The chemical structures and threshold concentrations of these compounds are also recapped. Although the structures and thresholds of many bitter compounds have been confirmed, further studies are needed to develop detailed bitter-masking strategies and establish the relation between functional groups (hetero-cyclic substituents and bonding types) and taste quality. Furthermore, a comprehensive bitterness database and chemometric data must be provided in order to quickly assess the bitterness of unfamiliar products.

Novel Taste-Enhancing 4-Amino-2-methyl-5-heteroalkypyrimidines Formed from Thiamine by Maillard-Type Reactions

Increasing the thiamine concentration in a respective process flavor yields a product with a significant higher kokumi activity. S-plot analysis of the mass spectrometric data revealed beside thiamine itself, 4-methyl-5-thiazoleethanol, (S)-((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)-l-cysteine, N-((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)formamide, 3-(((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)thio)-5-hydroxypentan-2-one, and 2-methyl-5-(((2-methylfuran-3-yl)thio)methyl)pyrimidin-4-amine as marker molecules for a process flavor with higher thiamine concentration. Sensory-based targeted isolation revealed that (S)-((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)-l-cysteine, 3-(((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)thio)-5-hydroxypentan-2-one, and 2-methyl-5-(((2-methylfuran-3-yl)thio)methyl)pyrimidin-4-amine showed an influence on the kokumi taste activity with taste threshold concentrations between 35 and 120 μmol/L. An adapted mass spectrometric-based carbon module labeling experiment as well as quantitative studies clearly demonstrated thiamine as the only precursor and an intermolecular formation pathway for the compounds (S)-(((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)thio)-5-hydroxypentan-2-one and 2-methyl-5-(((2-methylfuran-3-yl)thio)methyl)pyrimidin-4-amine. On the basis of the knowledge that several thiamine derivatives showed taste-modulating activity, selected thiamine-based binary model reactions and synthesis were carried out. This resulted in the isolation of further thiamine-derived taste modulators like (S)-((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)-l-cysteinylglycine, (S)-3-((((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)thio)methyl)piperazine-2,5-dione, 3-(((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)thio)pentan-2-one, 5-(((furan-2-ylmethyl)thio)methyl)-2-methylpyrimidin-4-amine, and (4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methanethiol, 2-methyl-5-((methylthio)methyl)pyrimidin-4-amine with taste thresholds ranging from 35 to 880 μmol/L.

Food-Grade Synthesis of Maillard-Type Taste Enhancers Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES)

The increasing demand for healthier food products, with reduced levels of table salt, sugar, and mono sodium glutamate, reinforce the need for novel taste enhancers prepared by means of food-grade kitchen-type chemistry. Although several taste modulating compounds have been discovered in processed foods, their Maillard-type ex food production is usually not exploited by industrial process reactions as the yields of target compounds typically do not exceed 1–2%. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are reported for the first time to significantly increase the yields of the taste enhancers 1-deoxy-d-fructosyl-N-β-alanyl-l-histidine (49% yield), N-(1-methyl-4-oxoimidazolidin-2-ylidene) aminopropionic acid (54% yield) and N²-(1-carboxyethyl) guanosine 5′-monophosphate (22% yield) at low temperature (80–100 °C) within a maximum reaction time of 2 h. Therefore, NADES open new avenues to a “next-generation culinary chemistry” overcoming the yield limitations of traditional Maillard chemistry approaches and enable a food-grade Maillard-type generation of flavor modulators.

Differential Off-line LC-NMR (DOLC-NMR) Metabolomics To Monitor Tyrosine-Induced Metabolome Alterations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A novel differential off-line LC-NMR approach (DOLC-NMR) was developed to capture and quantify nutrient-induced metabolome alterations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Off-line coupling of HPLC separation and ¹H NMR spectroscopy supported by automated comparative bucket analyses, followed by quantitative ¹H NMR using ERETIC 2 (electronic reference to access in vivo concentrations), has been successfully used to quantitatively record changes in the metabolome of S. cerevisiae upon intervention with the aromatic amino acid l-tyrosine. Among the 33 metabolites identified, glyceryl succinate, tyrosol acetate, tyrosol lactate, tyrosol succinate, and N-acyl-tyrosine derivatives such as N-(1-oxooctyl)-tyrosine are reported for the first time as yeast metabolites. Depending on the chain length, N-(1-oxooctyl)-, N-(1-oxodecanyl)-, N-(1-oxododecanyl)-, N-(1-oxomyristinyl)-, N-(1-oxopalmityl)-, and N-(1-oxooleoyl)-l-tyrosine imparted a kokumi taste enhancement above their recognition thresholds ranging between 145 and 1432 μmol/L (model broth). Finally, carbon module labeling (CAMOLA) and carbon bond labeling (CABOLA) experiments with ¹³C₆-glucose as the carbon source confirmed the biosynthetic pathway leading to the key metabolites; for example, the aliphatic side chain of N-(1-oxooctyl)-tyrosine could be shown to be generated via de novo fatty acid biosynthesis from four C₂-carbon modules (acetyl-CoA) originating from glucose.

Fragmentation pathways during Maillard-induced carbohydrate degradation

The Maillard reaction network with focus on the chemistry of dicarbonyl structures causes considerable interest of research groups in food chemistry and medical science, respectively. Dicarbonyl compounds are well established as the central intermediates in the nonenzymatic browning reaction and have been verified to be responsible for advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) formation. A multitude of Maillard dicarbonyls covering the range of the intact carbon backbone down to C3 and C2 fragments were detected in several carbohydrate systems, for example, in glucose, maltose, or ascorbic acid reactions. By definition, dicarbonyls with a C2-C5 carbon backbone must originate by fission of the original carbon skeleton. The present review deals with the five major mechanisms reported in the literature for dicarbonyl decomposition: (i) retro-aldol fragmentation, (ii) hydrolytic α-dicarbonyl cleavage, (iii) oxidative α-dicarbonyl cleavage, (iv) hydrolytic β-dicarbonyl cleavage, and (v) amine-induced β-dicarbonyl cleavage.

Investigation of the aroma-active compounds formed in the maillard reaction between glutathione and reducing sugars

Aroma-active compounds formed during the thermal reaction between glutathione (GSH) and reducing sugars were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-olfactometry (GC-O) with aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). Application of AEDA to glutathione Maillard reaction products (GSH MRPs) led to the identification of 19 aroma-active compounds in the thermal reaction of glutathione with glucose or fructose. In addition, the carbohydrate module labeling (CAMOLA) approach was also employed to elucidate the formation pathways for selected target sulfur aroma compounds, such as 5-methylthiophene-2-carbaldehyde and 3-methylthiophene-2-carbaldehyde, which have not been reported previously. The intact carbon skeleton of glucose via 3-deoxyhexosone is incorporated into 5-methylthiophene-2-carbaldehyde with the hydrogen sulfide of GSH. On the other hand, the formation of 3-methylthiophene-2-carbaldehyde may occur via the recombination of a C-4 sugar fragment and mercaptoacetaldehyde.

Taste-Active Maillard Reaction Products: The “Tasty” World of Nonvolatile Maillard Reaction Products

This study was done to obtain greater insight into the structures and sensory activities of those tastants that are not present in foods per se, but are generated during food processing by Maillard-type reactions from carbohydrates and amino acids and thus remain unknown. In order to rank the tastants according to their relative taste impact and to identify the key tastants generated during thermal food processing, the so-called taste dilution analysis (TDA), which uses the human tongue as a biosensor for tastants, was applied to heated, intensely bitter tasting binary mixtures of glucose or xylose and proline or alanine, respectively. This screening technique led to the identification of previously unknown taste compounds, among which intensely bitter tastants such as quinizolate and homoquinizolate, a pungent-tasting pyranopyranone, cyclopentenone derivatives exhibiting a physiological cooling effect, as well as a taste-enhancing pyridinium betaine named alapyridaine will be presented.

Elucidation of mammalian bitter taste

A family of approximately 30 TAS2R bitter taste receptors has been identified in mammals. Their genes evolved through adaptive diversification and are linked to chromosomal loci known to influence bitter taste in mice and humans. The agonists for various TAS2Rs have been identified and all of them were established as bitter tastants. TAS2Rs are broadly tuned to detect multiple bitter substances, explaining, in part, how mammals can recognize numerous bitter compounds with a limited set of receptors. The TAS2Rs are expressed in a subset of taste receptor cells, which are distinct from those mediating responses to other taste qualities. However, cells devoted to the detection of sweet, umami, and bitter stimuli share common signal transduction components. Transgenic expression of a human TAS2R in sweet or bitter taste receptor-expressing cells of mice induced either strong attraction or aversion to the receptor's cognate bitter tastant. Thus, dedicated taste receptor cells appear to function as broadly tuned detectors for bitter substances and are wired to elicit aversive behavior.