Effects of food materials on removal of Allium-specific volatile sulfur compounds

Effects of food materials were investigated on removal of several kinds of thiols, sulfides, and disulfides, which arise from vegetables of Allium species during food preparation and eating. Methanethiol, propanethiol, and 2-propenethiol were captured by raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms or a mixture of their acetone powders and phenolic compounds. The odor of diallyl disulfide was remarkably reduced by kiwi fruit, spinach, cutting lettuce, parsley, basil, mushrooms, and, particularly, cow's milk, raw egg, boiled rice, and bovine serum albumin (BSA). This suggests that the removal of diallyl disulfide could be caused by a physical and chemical interaction between the disulfide and foods. Furthermore, milk and BSA captured propanethiol, 2-propenethiol, dipropyl sulfide, diallyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dipropyl disulfide very well. An enzymatic degradation of diallyl disulfide by spinach and asparagus was also observed. These results demonstrate that the deodorization with foods is achieved by multiple actions including physical and chemical interaction between volatile sulfur compounds and foods, enzymatic degradation of disulfides, and addition of thiols to polyphenolic compounds, catalyzed by polyphenol oxidases or peroxidases.