The
formation o
f acrylamide was studied in low-moisture Maillard model systems (180
![](/images/entities/deg.gi<font color=)
f">C, 5 min)based on asparagine, reducing sugars, Maillard intermediates, and sugar degradation products. Weshow evidence that certain glycoconjugates play a major role in acrylamide
formation. The
N-glycosylo
f asparagine generated about 2.4 mmol/mol acrylamide, compared to 0.1-0.2 mmol/mol obtainedwith
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/alpha.gi
f" BORDER=0>-dicarbonyls and the Amadori compound o
f asparagine. 3-Hydroxypropanamide, the Streckeralcohol o
f asparagine, generated only low amounts o
f acrylamide (~0.23 mmol/mol), whilehydroxyacetone increased the acrylamide yields to more than 4 mmol/mol, indicating that
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/alpha.gi
f" BORDER=0>-hydroxycarbonyls are much more e
fficient than
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/alpha.gi
f" BORDER=0>-dicarbonyls in converting asparagine into acrylamide. Theexperimental results are consistent with the reaction mechanism based on (i) a Strecker typedegradation o
f the Schi
ff base leading to azomethine ylides,
followed by (ii) a
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-elimination reactiono
f the decarboxylated Amadori compound to a
fford acrylamide. The
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-position on both sides o
f thenitrogen atom is crucial. Rearrangement o
f the azomethine ylide to the decarboxylated Amadoricompound is the key step, which is
favored i
f the carbonyl moiety contains a hydroxyl group in
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-position to the nitrogen atom. The
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-elimination step in the amino acid moiety was demonstratedby reacting under low moisture conditions decarboxylated model Amadori compounds obtained bysynthesis. The corresponding vinylogous compounds were only generated i
f a
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-proton was available,
for example, styrene
from the decarboxylated Amadori compound o
f phenylalanine. There
fore, it issuggested that this thermal pathway may be common to other amino acids, resulting under certainconditions in their respective vinylogous reaction products.Keywords: Acrylamide; asparagine; Maillard reaction; mechanisms; synthesis; Strecker degradation;
![](/images/gi<font color=)
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-elimination; decarboxylated Maillard intermediates; azomethine ylides; LC-MS/MS; GC-MS; NMR.