Role of spices on acrylamide formation in buckwheat ginger cakes

Acrylamide is an undesirable carcinogenic component of thermally processed foods arising from reducing saccharides and asparagine at the temperature more than 120 °C. The acrylamide content in food could be influenced by many factors such as temperature, time, water content, pH and matrix constituents. Recently, antioxidants such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, vitamins and phenolic extracts from various spices have been reported to inhibit acrylamide formation. According to our previous model study, the antioxidant capacity of some spice extracts highly correlated with acrylamide formation in simplified simulated food matrices [1]. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of selected spices on acrylamide occurrence in ginger cakes with the addition of buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is frequently used as an additive in functional foods due to its high level of antioxidants [2]. Spices as a part of recipe of ginger cakes (clove, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, coriander, star anise, anise, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, and vanilla) were evaluated as promoters or suppressors of acrylamide formation. Antioxidant capacity of extracts from spices with different polarity was measured by the analysis of free radical scavenging TEAC (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH • ). Final acrylamide content was analyzed by GC/MS using negative chemical ionization.