Kinetic analysis for the degradation of glycyl-L-leucine and L-leucyl-glycine in subcritical water.

Two dipeptides, glycyl-L-leucine (G-L) and L-leucyl-glycine (L-G), the concentrations of which were 10 mmol/L, were degraded in subcritical water in order to understand fully the phenomena occurring during treatment. Treatment was administered in a stainless steel tubular reactor, which was connected to an HPLC pump and immersed in an oil bath at 200–240 °C, with residence times of 10–180 s. When G-L and L-G were treated, L-G and G-L significantly formed, respectively, and then they gradually decreased at every temperature. Irrespective of the kind of substrate, ring formation occurred, and cyclo-(glycyl-L-leucine) was one of the final products. The reaction rate constants related to degradation were estimated under the assumption that all the reactions obeyed first-order kinetics, and the simulated results corresponded well with the experimental ones in every case.