Abstract
The present study was designed to characterize melanoidins in soy sauces and fish sauces by the determination of 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) and 3-deoxypentosone (3-DP), which are intermediate reaction products in the formation of melanoidins. 3-DG was determined in 10 (93.20 − 497.60 μg/mL) out of 13 soy sauce samples and in 5 (6.40 − 291.20 μg/mL) out of 11 fish sauce samples. 3-DP was found in 6 samples (36.40 − 1053.60 μg/mL) out of 13 soy sauce samples and in 3 (20.40 − 288.40 μg/mL) out of 11 fish sauce samples. The greater the amount of 3-DG, the higher color intensity in fermented soy sauces of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. However, in some soy sauces of China, Philippines, and Singapore, there was no correlation between the amount of 3-DG and color intensity, due to the addition of caramel pigments. Additionally, the content of 3-DP was closely related to color intensity, and 3-DP had a lesser effect on color than 3-DG.
