Study on formation of acrylamide in asparagine–sugar microwave heating systems using UPLC-MS/MS analytical method

Microwave heating can be regarded as a possible way to produce a considerable amount of acrylamide. The present study investigated the formation of acrylamide in asparagine–glucose, asparagine–fructose and asparagine–sucrose microwave heating systems by the response surface methodology (RSM) and the orthogonal array methodology (OAM). The acrylamide content was rapidly quantified by a validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. Results of RSM study indicated that in the asparagine–glucose system, the acrylamide content increased in the combined condition of high temperature accompanying with short heating time (>190 °C, <20 min) or low temperature accompanying with long heating time (<180 °C, >30 min). In the asparagine–fructose system, the similar conclusion was made in the combined condition of high temperature accompanying with short heating time (>175 °C, <20 min) or low temperature accompanying with long heating time (<170 °C, >25 min). In the asparagine–sucrose system, the amount of acrylamide enhanced with the increase of both heating temperature and heating time. The fitted mathematic models were successfully applied to the quantification of acrylamide formation when the heating temperature and heating time fell into the ranges of 120–240 °C and 5–35 min simultaneously. OAM study showed that acrylamide is readily formed via heating binary precursors 5 min at 180 °C in the asparagine–glucose and asparagine–fructose systems. However, acrylamide is readily generated when the binary precursors are heated 15 min at 180 °C in the asparagine–sucrose system.