Evaluation of Maillard Reaction Progression through Microwave and Conventional Heating in Bovine Serum Albumin- Maltodextrin System

Microwave heating as a widely used method in food industry considered to have non-thermal effects in addition to thermal impacts on food. For examining this hypothesis, Maillard reaction as a pervasive reaction in food processing was evaluated in Microwave (MH) and conventional (CH) heating under well controlled condition. The glycation process was carried out in bovine serum albumin (BSA) – Maltodextrin model system with three different weight ratios (1:1, 1:3 and 1:5) for 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min at 90 ºC. The extent of glycation was assessed by ortho-phthaldialdehyde assay (OPA), Abs 420, Abs 294 and CIE L*, a* and b* parameters. Statistical analysis showed MH was much more influential in reduction of free amino groups and increase in Abs 420 and Abs 294 than CH (p0.05). It showed that graft reactions under MH were much faster than those by WH and microwave can accelerate the rate of Maillard reaction.