Molecules, Vol. 24, Pages 318: Influence of Oxygen-Containing Sulfur Flavor Molecules on the Stability of ?-Carotene under UVA Irradiation (Molecules)

The influence of 11 kinds of oxygen-containing sulfur flavor molecules was examined on ?-carotene stability under UVA irradiation in ethanol system. Both the effects of sulfides on dynamic degradation of ?-carotene and the relation between structure and effect were investigated. The oxidation products of ?-carotene accelerated by sulfides under UVA irradiation were also identified. The results indicated that the disulfides had more obvious accelerative effects on the photodegradation of ?-carotene than mono sulfides. The degradation of ?-carotene after methyl (2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide (MMFDS), methyl furfuryl disulfide (MFDS) and bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide (BMFDS) exposure followed first-order kinetics. Furan-containing sulfides such as MMFDS and BMFDS showed more pronounced accelerative effects than their corresponding isomers. The oxidation products were identified as 13-cis-?-carotene, 9,13-di-cis-?-carotene and all-trans-5,6-epoxy-?-carotene. These results suggest that both the sulfur atom numbers and the furan group in oxygen-containing sulfides play a critical role in the photooxidation of ?-carotene.