Relationships Between Maillard Reaction Products, Browning Intensity, Substrate Contents, and Physicochemical...

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between Maillard reaction products (pyrropyridine, crossline, pentosidine, N^ε-carboxymethylarginine, N^ε-carboxymethyllysine), browning intensity, substrate contents (reducing sugar and free amino acids), and physicochemical characteristics (moisture content and pH) in raw and cooked chicken breast meat of four Japanese jidori chicken breeds (Choshu-Kurokashiwa, Awa-Odori, Hinai-Jidori, and Nagoya-Cochin) and two commercial broilers (Ross 308). Specifically, we determined the substrate that acts as the limiting factor for Maillard reaction product formation in chicken breast. All characteristics were analyzed in both raw and grill-cooked breast (180°C). Breeds with high-reducing sugar content in raw meat (Choshu-Kurokashiwa, Hinai-Jidori, and Nagoya-Cochin) exhibited significantly more intense browning and higher concentrations of Maillard reaction products after cooking. Although Awa-Odori and a broiler sample contained significantly higher free amino acid contents, their browning and Maillard reaction product formation were weak. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis confirmed that reducing sugar content was strongly correlated with Maillard reaction indicators, independent of amino acid variations. These results suggest that chicken breast meat contains abundant amino compounds, whereas reducing sugars act as the rate-limiting factor. This study also revealed that high-reducing sugar content and Maillard reactivity was not a universal characteristic of any jidori breed.