Formation of the Heyns rearrangement products in dihydroxyacetone and glycine Maillard reaction: A computational study

Density functional theory computations at the standard state on the proposed mechanisms of dihydroxyacetone and glycine Maillard reaction under different pH conditions have revealed that dihydroxyacetone + deprotonated glycine and dihydroxyacetone + unprotonated glycine reactions are more favorable than dihydroxyacetone + protonated glycine and dihydroxyacetone + glycine zwitterion reactions for the formation of the Heyns rearrangement products (HRPs). The gaseous phase reaction is assumed more feasible than the aqueous phase reaction for the production of HRPs. Due to the possibility of the production of both of the enol and keto forms of HRPs, the rate of browning in the dihydroxyacetone + deprotonated glycine reaction is assumed higher than that of the others. Dihydroxyacetone + protonated glycine and dihydroxyacetone + glycine zwitterion reactions are not favorable for the formation of HRPs and, therefore, the reaction is assumed hindered under these conditions and the rate of browning is supposed to be lower than that of the others. Possibilities for the conversion of dihydroxyacetone to glyceraldehyde and formation of hydroxyacetaldehyde from dihydroxyacetone as a C2-fragmentation product have also been evaluated.