The white pulp of the Chinese water chestnut (CWC) is crisp and sweet with delicious flavours and is an important ingredient in many Chinese dishes. Phenylacetaldehyde is a characteristic flavoured substance produced in the steaming and cooking process of CWC. The steaming process and conditions were simulated to construct three Maillard reaction systems which consisted of glucose and phenylalanine, and of both alone. The simulation results showed that glucose and phenylalanine were the reaction substrates for the formation of phenylacetaldehyde. The intermediate α-dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs) and the final products of the simulated system were detected by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Through the above methods the formation mechanism of phenylacetaldehyde is clarified; under the conditions of the steaming process, glucose is caramelized to produce Methylglyoxal (MGO), 2,3-Butanedione (BD), Glyoxal (GO) and other α-DCs. α-DCs and phenylalanine undergo a Strecker degradation reaction to generate phenylacetaldehyde. The optimal ratio of the amount of substance of glucose to phenylalanine for Maillard reaction is 1:4. The results can provide scientific reference for the regulation of flavour substances and the evaluation of flavour quality in the steaming process of fruits and vegetables.
Keywords: Chinese water chestnut; Maillard reaction; SPME-GC-MS; phenylacetaldehyde.