Impact of whey protein hydrolysates on the formation of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine in baked food products.

Peptides have been reported to serve as precursors in the generation of alkylpyrazines, key aroma compounds in heated foods. Most previous studies, concerned with the generation of pyrazines via the Maillard reaction, were conducted using model systems of varying complexities. However, the formation of pyrazines in real food systems has received less attention.

Cocoa-specific flavor components and their peptide precursors.

Essential precursors of the cocoa-specific roasting-flavor notes were formed during proteolysis of the cocoa vicilin-class(7S) globulin by a mixture of cocoa aspartic protease and carboxypeptidase. These could be partially purified by ligand-exchange chromatography. Many constituents of this peptide fraction were destroyed by post-treatment with pepsin, but the cocoa-specific flavor-precursor peptides were largely resistant against pepsin treatment.

Impact of different enzymatic hydrolysates of whey protein on the formation of pyrazines in Maillard model systems.

The generation of pyrazines in model systems containing enzymatically hydrolyzed whey protein under dry heating conditions was studied. Pyrazines are important Maillard flavor compounds. Hydrolysates, obtained with different peptidases (pepsine, chymosine, thermolysin and a non-specific peptidase from Aspergillus melleus), contained a varying peptide profile and free amino acid content.

Assessing the influence of pod storage on sugar and free amino acid profiles and the implications on some Maillard reaction related flavor volatiles in Forastero cocoa beans.

The practice of pod storage (PS) has been applied in many cocoa producing countries, especially by Ghanaian farmers over the years. However, the study of PS has not received much attention, hence, until now, its potential impact on specific flavor precursor development and implications on the flavor of cocoa beans still remains uncovered. The study was therefore aimed at exploring this possibility through physico-chemical and flavor precursor analyses, carried out on equally fermented and dried pod stored (0, 3 and 7 days) Ghanaian cocoa beans.

Influence of Free Amino Acids, Oligopeptides, and Polypeptides on the Formation of Pyrazines in Maillard Model Systems.

Pyrazines are specific Maillard reaction compounds known to contribute to the unique aroma of many products. Most studies concerning the generation of pyrazines in the Maillard reaction have focused on amino acids, while little information is available on the impact of peptides and proteins. The present study investigated the generation of pyrazines in model systems containing whey protein, hydrolyzed whey protein, amino acids, and glucose.