ScienceNews: Alliinase appears to retain activity during garlic processi JoAn

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ScienceNews: Alliinase appears to retain activity during garlic

processing JoAnn Guest

Apr 06, 2007 14:08 PDT

 

Science News

 

http://www.herbs.org/current/alliinase.html

Alliinase appears to retain activity during garlic processing

 

Alliinase is an enzyme found in garlic that causes the conversion of

alliin to allicin, the compound believed to be responsible for some

of

garlic's medicinal benefits. Although researchers have previously

studied alliinase activity in fresh garlic, this is the first study

to

investigate its activity in dried, processed garlic. Researchers

used

gel filtration and affinity chromatography to isolate alliinase from

commercially available garlic powder. The isolated enzyme exhibited

slightly higher pH and temperature optima, compared to literature

values

for alliinase purified from fresh Allium sativum. When subjected to

gel

electrophoresis, the structure of the enzyme isolated from garlic

powder

appeared to be slightly modified, compared to enzyme from the intact

plant. Despite this apparent difference, the alliinase in garlic

powder

retained its ability to convert both naturally occurring l-(+)-

alliin

and synthetic l-(+)-alliin to allicin.

 

 

Full article $20 - Review Order

Krest I, Keusgen M. Quality of herbal remedies from Allium sativum:

differences between alliinase from garlic powder and fresh garlic.

Planta Med 1999; 65: 139-143.Alliinase appears to retain activity

during

garlic processing

 

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

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