Volatile compounds containing sulfur make very important contributions to the aromas associated with various foods, and often define the characteristic flavor of the food. Thiols are especially potent; some have the lowest aroma thresholds of any food odorant. In this review, we focused on 2-methyl-3-furanthiol (MFT) which is a potent meaty flavor. We summarized the natural occurrence of MFT in a variety of meat products, together with its common isolation and detection techniques. MFT is generated in food processing in different pathways, among which Maillard reaction between carbohydrates and cysteine is the most common. Other than that it can also be formed from thiamin degradation or enzymatic reactions. Being unstable, MFT readily reacts with different components in food systems including forming disulfides through radical reactions or interacting with melanoidins through ionic reactions. MFT also has good antioxidant activities, in both aqueous and organic systems and can protect from lipid peroxidation. The metabolism of MFT in rat liver is also discussed.

中文翻译：

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2-methyl-3-furanthiol 的风味化学，一种强烈的肉味化合物

含硫的挥发性化合物对与各种食物相关的香气做出了非常重要的贡献，并且通常定义了食物的特征风味。硫醇特别有效；有些具有所有食物气味剂中最低的香气阈值。在这篇评论中，我们专注于 2-methyl-3-furanthiol (MFT)，它是一种强大的肉味。我们总结了 MFT 在各种肉制品中的自然发生，以及其常见的分离和检测技术。MFT在食品加工中以不同途径产生，其中碳水化合物与半胱氨酸之间的美拉德反应最为常见。除此之外，它还可以由硫胺素降解或酶促反应形成。不稳定，MFT 很容易与食品系统中的不同成分发生反应，包括通过自由基反应形成二硫化物或通过离子反应与类黑素相互作用。MFT 在水性和有机体系中也具有良好的抗氧化活性，并且可以防止脂质过氧化。还讨论了 MFT 在大鼠肝脏中的代谢。