Identification of L-Ascorbic Acid 2-Ο-$\alpha$-Glucoside, a Stable Form of Ascorbic Acid, in Kimchi

A material with the same high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) retention profile as authentic ascorbic acid 2-Ο-$\alpha$-glucoside (AA-2G) was detected in kimchi. This material was identified as AA-2G by testing its susceptibility to $\alpha$-glucosidase hydrolysis, the HPLC profile, and through the elementary analysis. Among several strains of bacteria isolated from fermented kimchi, four strains could produce cydodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) which catalyzes the transglucosylation reaction of ascorbic acid. By using starch as the glycosyl donor, AA-2G was produced as the major product through this reaction.