PHENOLOXIDASE AND ANTIOXIDANT IN KOREAN GINSENG

고려인삼에 있어서의 페놀 산화효소의 항산화물질

Enzymatic browning is considered desirable in tea and tobacco processing but undesirable in many fruits processing at the present time. It is necessary to understand the nature of the enzyme, phenoloxidase, in order to control browning reactions, and extend its effects to formation of browning products as antioxidants in ginseng. Ginseng exhibits antioxidant activity when incorporated with turkey dark meat patties. The activity in red ginseng showed about two times stronger than white ginseng. One of the phenolic antioxidants from fresh, white and reprocessed white ginseng was identified as phenol 2.6 Bis(1.1 dimethyl ethyl) 4-methyl among several unknown compounds by GC/mass spectrometer. In red ginseng, no phenol 2.6 Bis (1.1 dimethyl ethyl) 4-methyl was detected, the compound may be polymerized by phenoloxidase and form some higher molecular compounds which may possess high antioxidant activity. Phenoloxidase isozymes in fresh Korean ginseng (panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) were extracted with phosphate buffer at pH 7.3. The isozymes were purified through ammonium sulfate fractionation, dialysis and chromatography on a DEAE-cellulose column. Two groups of phenoloxidase were shown to be present, one in the floating agglomerated group and the other in the precipitate. group from the 0.85 saturation ammonium sulfate. The DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, the phenoloxidase isozyme present in the precipitate appears as the first peak (I), and that in the agglomerate in the second peak (II). Isozyme I showed higher activity with catechin and catechal, and isozyme II showed higher activity with p-cresol. The isozyme showed two optimum pH activity one at pH 4.5 and the other at 8.5 with catechin as substrate. Korean ginseng phenoloxidase has high heat stability. When heated at $75^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours, its activity remained $90\%\;and\;80\%$ on phenoloxidase I and II respectively. Phenoloxidase I was most active on (+) catechin followed by p-cresal, catechol and epicatechin. Phenoloxidase II was most active on p-cresal followed by (+) catechin, catechol, p-coumanic acid and epicatechin. Sodium bisulfite, sodium cyanide, ascorbic acid glutachion in the oxidized form, sodium diethyl dithiocarbomate and ethylendiamine tetra acetate (EDTA) acted as inhibitors. Red ginseng color development was initiated by phenoloxidase and finished by a followed sun drying process. The antiaging activity of ginseng may be initiated by the antioxidant in the ginseng.