Effects of buffer and temperature on formation of furan, acetic acid and formic acid from carbohydrate model systems

Effects of temperature, pH and phosphate buffer on volatiles formed by heating model solutions of fructose, glucose, sucrose, lactose or starch were investigated by selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). Among the carbohydrates studied, the monosaccharide reducing sugars fructose and glucose were more reactive than macro molecular starch, lactose and sucrose, which are not reducing sugars. Furan was formed from fructose heated at 120, 100 and 80 °C at pH 5-7 in phosphate buffer and at 100 °C in unbuffered solution. Glucose did not yield furan in unbuffered solution at 100 °C but glucose did yield furan in phosphate buffer solution at a similar pH. Furan formation increased as temperature and pH increased. As temperature, pH value, and buffer components changed, furan formation may occur by different reactive pathways. Both of the buffer components, NaH₂PO₄ and citric acid, enhanced the formation of thermal degradation products from fructose. The enhancing effect of NaH₂PO₄ was stronger than citric acid. Formic and acetic acids were concomitantly formed with furan. More formic acid was produced from fructose than glucose, and more acetic acid was produced from glucose than fructose.