Antioxidant properties of aroma compounds isolated from soybeans and mung beans

Aroma compounds contained in the extracts of soybean and mung bean that pos sess antioxidant activity were identified by gas chromatography (GC) and ga s chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major aroma constituents of soybeans were 1-octen-3-ol (13.699 ppm), maltol (1.662 ppm), phenylethyl a lcohol (1.474 ppm), hexanol (1.430 ppm), and gamma-butyrolactone (1.370 ppm ). The major aroma constituents of mung beans were hexanol (3.234 ppm), ben zyl alcohol (2.060 ppm), gamma-butyrolactone (1.857 ppm), alpha-methyl-alph a-propenal (1.633 ppm), and pentanol (1.363 ppm). The major aroma chemicals of soybeans and mung beans were examined for antioxidative activities in t wo different assays. Eugenol, maltol, benzyl alcohol, and 1-octen-3-ol show ed potent antioxidative activities in two different assays. Eugenol, maltol , benzyl alcohol, and 1-octen-3-ol inhibited the oxidation of hexanal by 10 0%, 93%, 84%, and 32%, respectively, for a period of 40 days at the 500 mu g/mL level. Eugenol, maltol, benzyl alcohol, and 1-octen-3-ol inhibited mal onaldehyde (MA) formation from cod liver oil by 91%, 78%, 78%, and 78%, res pectively, at the 160 mu g/mL level. The antioxidative activity of eugenol was comparable to that of the natural antioxidant alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E).