Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
(2006) reviewed the potential biological importance of Maillard reaction products
(MRP) for health. They resist digestion in the small intestine so can alter bacterial
growth and activity in the large intestine; they could contribute to increased levels
of bacterially produced toxic metabolites from amino acids; a number of MRPs have
been reported to possess mutagenic or carcinogenic properties; and upon absorp-
tion MRPs can induce inflammatory responses. Further, Maillard reaction results in
losses of protein via cross-linking (which renders them indigestible), essential amino
acids (e.g., lysine), certain vitamins (e.g., vitamin C and thiamin), and some metals
via complexation (e.g., copper, zinc, and iron).
Unpublished research in our lab has shown that browning is more likely to occur
with fructose termination, such that browning is more apparent in the order oligo-
fructose > inulin > scFOS when fructans are heated in the presence of lysine, one of
the amino acids known to participate in these reactions. Conditions used to obtain
this effect were 1.25 percent lysine + 5 percent fructan in distilled water, heated
with stirring for 90 minutes. Separately, Huebner et al. (2008) compared browning
of different fructans (e.g., scFOS, oligofructose, and inulin) under different Maillard
reaction conditions: 10 percent short-chain and 2 percent long-chain fructan in cit-
rate-phosphate buffer pH7 with 1 percent glycine, heated at 85°C with shaking for 0
to 6 hours, and absorption measured at 420 nm compared with glucose. More brown-
ing was observed with oligofructose than scFOS at 1, 2, and 3 hours, with browning
fourfold greater at each time point (Huebner et al., 2008).
2.5 ADDITIoNAl sourCEs oF INForMATIoN
Additional information about scFOS can be obtained from the following refer-
ences and Web sites:
•
Bornet, F.R.J., and Brouns, F., Immune-stimulating and gut health-promoting prop-
erties of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides,
Nutrition Reviews
, 60(11), 326-334,
2002.
Roberfroid, M., Inulin: A fructan, in
•
Inulin-Type Fructans: Functional Food
Ingredients
, Roberfroid, M., Ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2005.
Spiegel, J.E., Rose, R., Karabell, P., Francos, V.H., and Schmitt, D.F., Safety and
•
benefits of fructooligosaccharides as food ingredients,
Food Technology
, (Jan),
85-89, 1994.
http://nutraflora.com•
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http://www.actilight.com
ACkNoWlEDgMENTs
Sincere thanks to Cristina Munteanu, senior food applications specialist, for her
insight into the Food Applications section, to Luke Kazmierski, quality assurance
and regulatory expert, for his insight into the manufacturing and analytical section,
and to Trina O'Brien, marketing and PR manager, for editorial advice.
