Characteristics and antioxidant activity of Maillard reaction products from psicose-lysine and fructose-lysine model systems.

D-Psicose, an epimer of D-fructose isomerized at C-3 position, is a rare ketohexose that is thought to be beneficial for obese people and diabetic patients as a noncaloric sweetener. In the present study, model Maillard reaction products were obtained from D-psicose (or D-fructose) and L-lysine heating at 120 °C up to 8 h with the initial pH 9.0. The changes in pH, UV-vis absorbance, and free amino groups during the reaction were detected. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of the Maillard reaction products at different intervals was investigated. Although there was almost no difference in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity, the Maillard reaction products from psicose performed better than that from fructose in the radical-scavenging activity of 2, 2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt and 1, 1,-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl. The reducing power of the Maillard reaction products from psicose was also stronger than that from fructose. These results indicated that psicose played an effective role in the Maillard reaction and its Maillard reaction products could act as potential antioxidants in food industry.