Stability of Metabolically Conjugated Precursors of Meat and Milk Flavor Compounds in Various Solvents

The stability of selected metabolic conjugates (phenylglucuronide, phenylphosphate, and naphthylsulfate) was determined in model systems composed of water and various ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3) of selected solvents (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, or methanol) held at either 22°C or 40°C for 30 min under various pH conditions (pH 1.5, 3.2, or 6.5). Notable hydrolysis occurred only for the more polar solvents held in contact with acidic aqueous phases. Conditions were identified for minimizing hydrolysis of conjugates during extraction of fat and free alkylphenols from milk and meat products with diethyl ether. They were pH near neutral, short exposure time, near ambient temperature, presence of excess water, and saturation of aqueous phase with sodium chloride.