Simultaneous generation of acrylamide, β-carboline heterocyclic amines and advanced glycation ends products in an aqueous Maillard reaction model system.

The simultaneous formation of acrylamide; β-carboline heterocyclic amines (HAs): harmane and norharmane; and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) (N-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and N-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL)) was analyzed based on an aqueous model system. The model systems included lysine-glucose (Lys/Glu), asparagine-glucose (Asn/Glu), tryptophan-glucose (Trp/Glu), and a mixture of these amino acids (Mix/Glu). Only AGEs were generated when heated at 100 °C, Asn and Trp competed with Lys for glucose and methylglyoxal (MGO), and glyoxal (GO) decreased AGE content. The k value of CML, CEL, and acrylamide decreased when heated at 130 °C, whereas that of harmane increased in the Mix/Glu, owing to the competition between Lys and Asn for glucose, GO, and MGO. Harmane preferably formed via the Pictet-Spengler condensation between Trp and acetaldehyde, which further reduced acrylamide formation via the acrolein pathway.