Impacts of selected dietary polyphenols on caramelization in model systems

This study investigated the impacts of six dietary polyphenols (phloretin, naringenin, quercetin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid and rosmarinic acid) on fructose caramelization in thermal model systems at either neutral or alkaline pH. These polyphenols were found to increase the browning intensity and antioxidant capacity of caramel. The chemical reactions in the system of sugar and polyphenol, which include formation of polyphenol-sugar adducts, were found to be partially responsible for the formation of brown pigments and heat-induced antioxidants based on instrumental analysis. In addition, rosmarinic acid was demonstrated to significantly inhibit the formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Thus this research added to the efforts of controlling caramelization by dietary polyphenols under thermal condition, and provided some evidence to propose dietary polyphenols as functional ingredients to modify the caramel colour and bioactivity as well as to lower the amount of heat-induced contaminants such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).