Purification and Partial Characterization of Melanoidins Fractions from Toasted Oak Heartwood, Comparison with Melanoidins from Roasted Coffee

During the cooking, processing, and storage of food products, a whole range of browning reactions occurs, initiated by the reaction of a carbohydrate with a compound possessing a free amino group. Melanoidins formed, influence food quality, mainly their colour, their flavour, and their antioxidant activities. Melanoidins are complex Maillard reaction products. We developed a method to isolate coffee melanoidins and melanoidins from toasted oak wood. We noted that coffee is richer in melanoidin compounds than oak wood. We presented a partial characterization of melanoidins fractions from toasted oak heartwood, and a comparison with melanoidins from roasted coffee. Mass spectra of the fractions isolated from toasted oak wood indicate the presence of pentose and hexose-based oligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerisation. The presence of the oligosaccharide moieties, as well as their degradation products found in the oak wood melanoidins, supports the postulated carbohydrate-based origin of melanoidins.