STUDIES OF THE PRECURSORS OF NATURALLY-OCCURRING ORGANIC COMPONENTS IN SEDIMENT.

The reaction of a carbohydrate with an amine group (H//2NR) at elevated temperature generally results in the formation of melanoidin, a dark brown-colored material. The significance of this type of reaction is implicit in the formation of melanoidin in a wide variety of natural processes. In the food processing industries an understanding of the mechanism of melanoidin formation would improve the control of deteriorative changes and flavor development in foods. Organic sediments found in our ecosystem are rich in possible raw materials for the melanoidin reaction, for example nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides, and mucopolysaccharides; therefore, it may also play an important role in the formation of humic acids under natural conditions. Results are discussed.