Generation of flavor compounds by the reaction of 2-deoxyglucose with selected amino acids

The volatile compounds generated by the reaction of 2-deoxyglucose with glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine, and aspartic acid were studied. The nitrogen-containing compounds identified included pyrazines, pyridines, and pyrroles. Non-nitrogen-containing volatiles included aldehydes, ketones, cyclic compounds, furans, and aromatic compounds. As in the case with glucose, higher pHs were favorable to the formation of pyrazines in the reaction systems containing 2-deoxyglucose. Asparagine, glutamine, and asparatic acid produced similar amounts of pyrazines at pH 8.0. In general, lower pHs favor the generation of non-nitrogen-containing compounds. The reaction of 2-deoxyglucose with the selected amino acids produced only about 1% of the amount of pyrazines generated in the systems containing glucose under the same reaction conditions. The results indicated that the 2-hydroxy group on the glucose molecule is essential for the effective generation of flavor compounds.