Screening of maillard reaction substrates from roasted flaxseed and comparative analysis of the antioxidant potential of their products

The antioxidant potential of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) derived from hot-pressed flaxseed oil was investigated through model reactions. Roasting flaxseed at 180 °C for 20 min yielded oil with enhanced oxidative stability. Key MRPs precursors were evaluated, revealing that the combinations of glucose-lysine (Glc-Lys) exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities (DPPH scavenging rate of 63.71 %) among other amino acid-reducing sugar combinations. Added with MRPs from Glc-Lys, the formation oxidation products (<i>n</i>-alkanl, alkenal, and alkadienals, etc.) of cold-pressed flaxseed oil were suppressed by 19-37 %. The major MRP from Glc-Lys model were identified as L-Frosine through mass spectrometry. Quantum chemical calculations indicated that the major products, specifically furan and pyrrole compounds, possess lower HOMO-LUMO energy gaps than tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), suggesting significant radical scavenging capabilities. The active sites responsible for these properties are located at C (11-15) and O(16) atoms within the furan structure.