Model Studies on the Antioxidative Effect of Polyphenols in Thermally Treated D-Glucose/L-Alanine Solutions with Added Metal Ions.

The influence of different polyphenolic compounds (PPs) on the Maillard reaction in a d-glucose/l-alanine model system with or without metal ions was studied under various reaction conditions. At temperatures up to 100 °C the PPs showed pro-oxidative effects due to their reducing effects on metal ions. This can be explained by a combined redox cycling mechanism of metals and PPs that promotes oxidation in the Maillard reaction.