The Effects of Antioxidants on Browning and on Degradation Products Caused by Dehydroascorbic Acid

The efficiency of L-cysteine (cysteine) and sodium sulfite as antioxidants was examined in the browning of an aqueous solution of 100 mM dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). The browning was suppressed at 100 mM cysteine and at 40 mM and higher concentrations of sodium sulfite, but it increased in the presence of 10 mM of those agents. These agents did not allow the reduction of DHA to L-ascorbic acid (AA). These results suggest that the suppression or acceleration of browning is likely to be related to some degraded intermediates of DHA. The two colorless intermediates, which during DHA breakdown eventually transform into browning pigments, were discussed with regard to the browning regulation mechanism.