Melanoidin formed from fructosylalanine contains more alanine than melanoidin formed from d-glucose with L-alanine

Abstract In this study the elemental compositions of melanoidin formed at 160 °C from d -glucose (Glc) and l -alanine (Ala) as well as from fructosylalanine - the corresponding Amadori rearrangement product – were compared. Specific chemical bonds were probed by FTIR spectroscopy. This approach tackles the different chemical pathways for melanoidin formation via the Amadori rearrangement in contrast to the reaction from Glc/Ala. Melanoidins formed from fructosylalanine contain about twice as much nitrogen and therefore amino acid as compared to melanoidin from Glc/Ala and exhibit higher absorption in the UV/Vis. Consequently, melanoidins formed from Glc/Ala contain more sugar degradation products with lower absorption due to a smaller size of the conjugated double bond network.