The Umami-enhancing Ability Improvement of Pea Protein Hydrolysate by Maillard Reaction Utilizing Sugar-derived NADES

Pea protein hydrolysate (PPH) typically exhibits a bitter taste and limited umami-enhancing properties, which impedes its use in umami seasoning products. This study aimed to increase the umami-enhancing capability of PPH by using the Maillard reaction with the integration of NADES (Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents). By comparing different Maillard reaction treatments on PPH's umami-enhancement, this study highlighted the advantages of our method and identified potential key reaction precursors, shown by changes in the main sample composition. Using sugar-derived NADES for the Maillard reaction with added xylose notably improved PPH's umami-enhancing ability by 100%. The optimal reaction conditions were heating at 55 degrees C for 90 min. This was the lowest reaction temperature reported to date, significantly reducing the challenges of industrial production. PPH primarily comprised small peptides and free amino acids. In the NADES system, free hydrophobic amino acids and peptides exhibited higher Maillard reactivity. With the addition of xylose, about 50% of free hydrophobic, 60% of basic, and 20% of acidic amino acids, and over half of the peptides were further consumed. PCA results and other data suggested that the Maillard reaction products of specific free amino acids and umami-potential peptides in PPH with xylose in NADES might be essential for boosting umami-enhancing ability. This study introduced a approach to selectively prepare flavor enhancers with exceptional umami-enhancing ability using PPH, while also satisfying the cost and safety requirements of industrial production.

Automated summary

This study successfully increased the umami-enhancing capability of pea protein hydrolysate (PPH) using the Maillard reaction with the integration of NADES. By changing reaction conditions and adding xylose, the umami-enhancing ability of PPH was significantly improved. This research is of great importance to industrial production.