ISBN 978-3-8439-4747-3

978-3-8439-4747-3, Reihe Lebensmittelchemie

Laura Brehm
Studies on Novel Thiamine-Derived Taste Enhancers in Process Flavors and Model Reaction Systems

120 Seiten, Dissertation Technische Universität München (2021), Softcover, A5

Zusammenfassung / Abstract

Process Flavors (PFs) which imitate the aroma and taste profile are important for industry to produce vegetarian meat substitution products. To obtain a better understanding of the formation of umami and kokumi active compounds in those PFs, the SENSOMICS approach was adapted. It was possible to isolate and identify S-((4-amino-2-methylpyrimidin-5-yl)methyl)-L-cysteine as a novel taste enhancer.

Targeted model reactions clarified that the precursor of this taste enhancer are cysteine and thiamine.

Based on the identified precursors knowledge-based model reactions were performed to isolate further unknown taste modulating compounds. By means of knowledge-based targeted model reactions of thiamine with different reaction partners it was possible to identify several new taste modulating thiamine derivates.

An innovative adaption of the CAMOLA experiment lead to the clarification of the formation mechanism of the thiamine derivates. Those taste modulators are formed via an SN1 reaction of thiamine with a nucleophile. The common characteristic of the taste modulators, derived from thiamine, is the linkage of a sulfur compound to the pyrimidine moiety. Structure-activity relationships indicated that the sulfur plays a crucial role in the taste activity of the thiamine-based taste enhancers.

After the development of a sensitive and robust quantitation method for the new class of taste enhancer it was possible to determine conditions (pH, heating temperature and heating time) which lead to the highest formation of the targeted thiamine derivates in model reactions.

Furthermore, it was possible to successfully demonstrate that the those newly discovered class of thiamine-based taste enhancers also occur naturally (e.g. in nuts or meat).