Maillard products utilization

Because of the variety of polysaccharides which can be fermented by some Bacteroides species, it is difficult to predict with certainty which polysaccharides in the complex mixture of dietary and host-produced carbohydrates that enter the colon will be degraded most rapidly and most extensively. Further information about how these organisms make choices between different polysaccharides i vitro may help to clarify this issue. However, nutritionists who are interested in catabolism of dietary fiber components iji vivo should be aware that the bacteria may prefer other sources of carbohydrate, such as mucopolysaccharides from host secretions or even Maillard products, to the dietary polysaccharide under study, and that this preference may influence catabolism of a particular polysaccharide in ways which we cannot at present predict. Effects of this sort may be responsible for some of the individual-to-individual variation which is encountered in nutritional studies of dietary fiber utilization. 

Sherr, B. Lee, C.M. Jelesciewics, C. Absorption and metabolism of lysine Maillard products in relation to utilization of L-lysine. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1989, 37, 119-122. 

The most common antioxidants are phenols, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Increasing interest has, however, been directed towards the utilization of normal food constituents with antioxidative properties (2). Among those, the Maillard reaction products (MRP) might be of special importance, since they are so widespread in foods. 

Although the early Maillard reaction products are reported to have antioxidant properties and, in fact, can be utilized by processors to inhibit lipid oxidation in animal protein foods such as fish products, there is an accompanying lysine loss (4 5). 

Most of the original patents referring to meat flavors utilizing Maillard technology vere claimed by Unilever (48-52 56,57). More recent patents are involved with the production of meat-like flavors. While a majority of patents are concerned vith cysteine, cystine, or methionine as the sulfur source, others claim alternatives such as mercaptoacetaldehyde, mercaptoalkamines, etc. Several patents (53,54), declare the contribution to meat-like flavors produced from thiamine in the Maillard reaction. Alternately, a technical report describes the volatile flavor compounds produced by the thermal degradation of thiamine alone (55). 

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