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Combinatorial synthesis and sensorial properties of polyfunctional thiols
C Vermeulen1, J Pellaud, L Gijs
1Unité de Brasserie et des Industries Alimentaires, Faculté d'Ingénierie biologique, agronomique et environnementale, Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud, 2 bte 7, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|November 21, 2001
Summary
Researchers synthesized and analyzed novel, highly potent flavor compounds called polyfunctional thiols. These compounds, crucial for food aroma, are challenging to detect but essential for understanding complex food flavors.
Area of Science:
- Food Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Organic Synthesis
Background:
- Polyfunctional thiols are vital trace components in food flavors due to their extremely low odor thresholds.
- Their minute concentrations (ng/kg to μg/kg) and high reactivity pose significant challenges for extraction and identification.
- Many of these key aroma compounds are not commercially available, hindering research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize the chromatographic and sensory properties of 10 novel mercaptoketones and mercaptoalcohols.
- To develop methods for identifying and quantifying trace thiols in food matrices.
- To explore the potential of these synthetic compounds as key contributors to food flavor profiles.
Main Methods:
- Utilized combinatorial chemistry for rapid synthesis of target mercaptoketones and mercaptoalcohols.
- Employed sulfur-selective sulfur chemiluminescence detection coupled with mass spectrometry for compound identification.
- Applied gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) to determine flavor profiles and best estimate gas chromatography lowest amount detected by sniffing (BE-GC-LOADS) values.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized 10 synthetic mercaptoketones and mercaptoalcohols using combinatorial chemistry.
- Identified the target compounds using advanced chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques.
- Discovered new, exceptionally odorant molecules with BE-GC-LOADS values below 0.1 ng, significantly contributing to flavor perception.
Conclusions:
- Combinatorial chemistry is an effective strategy for rapid synthesis of complex flavor compounds.
- Advanced analytical techniques enable the identification of trace thiols crucial for food aroma.
- The characterized synthetic thiols represent potent new aroma molecules with potential applications in the food industry.