The contribution of glutathione (GSH) and free amino
acids degraded
from GSH to the generation of pyrazines and 2,3-butanedione was illustrated
during their interaction in the thermal treatment of the Amadori compound
of alanine and xylose (ARP). GSH-degraded amino acids, glutamic acid
(Glu), cysteine (Cys), and glycine (Gly), but not pyroglutamic acid
(pGlu), could effectively capture α-dicarbonyls to facilitate
the formation of pyrazines when ARP was heated with GSH. Deoxypentosones,
the precursors of 2,3-butanedione, were largely consumed in the ARP–GSH
model by the interaction with GSH and its degradative Cys compared
with the ARP model. The addition of GSH and deoxypentosones inhibited
the further degradation of deoxypentosones, resulting in less formation
of 2,3-butanedione and other α-dicarbonyl compounds. Meanwhile,
the reaction between GSH-degraded Cys and deoxypentosones to form
sulfur-containing compounds such as thiols accelerated the consumption
of deoxypentosones; thereby, the formation of 2,3-butanedione was
severely interfered. However, this inhibition was compensated for
by the GSH-degraded Gly through the addition between Gly and MGO and
the subsequent deamination. The involvement of exogenous GSH could
simultaneously boost the yields of 2,3-butanedione and pyrazines compared
with those of ARP heated alone. As the degree of GSH degradation strengthened
in the ARP-thermal-degraded GSH models, the yields of both pyrazines
and 2,3-butanedione steadily increased.