CHAPTER 29: Melanoidins

Melanoidins are high molecular weight brown compounds containing nitrogen, defined as end products of Maillard reaction. Coffee brews, prepared from roasted and ground coffee beans, are one of the main sources of melanoidins in the human diet. Polysaccharides, proteins, chlorogenic acids, and sucrose are involved in coffee melanoidins formation. Several biological activities have been attributed to coffee melanoidins, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticariogenic, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antiglycative activities. To understand their potential health benefits, it is essential to know their chemical structures. However, there are several unanswered questions about the exact structures of coffee melanoidins and mechanisms involved in their formation. All these aspects, as well as the strategies that have been used for quantitation, isolation, and purification of coffee melanoidins, will be addressed in this chapter.