Strecker Degradation

Strecker_Degradation
Strecker_Degradation

An important roast reaction related to the Maillard reaction. The Strecker Degradation is an interaction of amino acids with a carbonyl compound in an environment with water, creating CO2 and an Aldehyde or Ketone.: The Strecker Degradation is an interaction of amino acids (AKA proteins) with a carbonyl compound in an environment with water, resulting in the creation of CO2 and an Aldehyde or Ketone.

The later two components are important for volatile aromatics and flavors, and the Strecker Degradation contributes to browning. It involves compounds formed in the Maillard reaction and is therefore necessarily linked to it in coffee roasting. The Strecker degradation is a chemical reaction which converts an α-amino acid into an aldehyde containing the side chain, by way of an imine intermediate. It is named after Adolph Strecker, a German chemist. (wikipedia)

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