Melanoidins: Structural Characterization, Functional Properties, and Bioactivity of High Molecular Weight Maillard Reaction Compounds

The Maillard reaction (MR) is a non-enzymatic browning process central to food quality, significantly influencing characteristics such as flavor, texture, and color. This reaction generates a diverse spectrum of compounds, from low-molecular-weight compounds to high-molecular-weight polymeric structures known as melanoidins. These melanoidins, formed primarily in the final stages of the Maillard reaction, have garnered considerable interest due to their distinct technological functionalities—including roles as emulsifiers, colorants, antioxidants, texturizing agents, and flavor enhancers—as well as their recognized bioactive properties, such as antioxidant, antiglycative, antihypertensive, prebiotic, and antimicrobial effects. Despite their evident importance, the detailed chemical structure of melanoidins remains inadequately characterized.

Research on melanoidin composition has largely relied on model systems using simple sugars and amino acids under controlled conditions, which have been paving the way to understand more complex systems. Melanoidins resulting from food matrices incorporate additional components such as phenolic compounds, lipids, and aromatic structures, which confer them distinct structure-function properties, still unexplored.

This Research Topic welcomes submissions relating to the development, structural characterization, and bioactive properties of Maillard reaction products, with a particular focus on high molecular weight melanoidins. It will focus on clarifying the chemical diversity of melanoidins in various model systems and real food matrices. Specifically, this Research Topic encourages contributions that probe into the structural nuances of melanoidins and explore structure-activity relationships responsible for their technological and bioactive roles. To gather further insights into this topic, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Extraction and purification of melanoidins from food and model systems

- Identification methods and structural characterization of melanoidins

- Exploitation of technological functionalities

- Assessments of bioactive properties utilizing both in vitro and in vivo experimental models

- Investigations establishing structure-activity correlations for melanoidin function

- Explorations of the molecular mechanisms underlying the functionality and bioactivity of melanoidins.

We welcome original research papers, short communications, opinion articles, mini reviews, and full-length reviews on these topics.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Maillard reaction products, Melanoidins, Bioactive properties, Structural characterization

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.