Advances in the biomimetic and Maillard route synthesis and regulation of pyrazine flavour compounds
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Pyrazines are nitrogen-containing heterocyclic flavour compounds characterized by roasted, nutty, and coffee-like aroma notes, and play a key role in the flavour quality of thermally processed foods. Biomimetic and Maillard route synthesis enables efficient generation of pyrazine flavourants from readily available、renewable natural precursors, offering green and sustainable advantages. This review systematically summarizes the research progress in this field since the 1960s, following three main threads: precursor types, formation mechanisms, and regulatory strategies. It reviews the pyrazine-forming capabilities of various precursors including small-molecule carbonyl compounds, sugar-amino acid/ammonia systems, hydroxy amino acids, lipid degradation products, ascorbic acid, and peptides/proteins. Multiple coexisting mechanistic pathways are elucidated, including α-aminoketone condensation-oxidation, free radical pathways, azomethine ylide dimerisation, and peptide-involved mechanisms. The regulatory effects of temperature, pH, precursor structure, reaction media, and emerging technologies on pyrazine yield and distribution are summarized, and the application of computational chemistry in mechanistic studies is discussed. Finally, future research directions are prospected from the perspectives of peptide structure-product relationships, multi-component network analysis, data-driven synthesis, and engineering scale-up, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for the design and efficient preparation of pyrazine flavourants.
Source: RSC Advances
DOI: 10.1039/d6ra07015a
Institution: Zhengzhou University of Light Industry
Language: English
Topic: Potato Plant Research
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,042
Award: G1488473047
OpenAlex ID: W7223174185