Characterization and inhibitors of polyphenol oxidase from Chinese toon

Chinese toon is the unique and traditional woody vegetable in China. Enzymatic browning catalyzed by polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is prone to happen during the harvest, storage, and processing of Chinese toon so that the sensory quality and the nutritional content of Chinese toon products are seriously influenced. In order to prolong shelf life and storage period, the characterization of Chinese toon PPO (CtPPO) has been analyzed in this study. The PPO was extracted and fractionated by 25–70% (NH4)2SO4, and the biochemical characteristics were analyzed. Based on the Vmax /Km ratio, pyrogallol was the most suitable substrate, followed by catechol and gallic acid. CtPPO exhibited no affinity with methyl gallate. The molecular mass of CtPPO was approximately 84.55 kDa estimated by SDS-PAGE. The native PAGE showed four prominent bands. Optimal pH and temperature were 6.2, 40°C and 8.5, 80°C for catechol and pyrogallol, respectively. CtPPO showed high and stable activity at pH ranging from 5.0 to 7.2 for catechol and pH 7.4 to 9.5 for pyrogallol. Activation energy (Ea) values were 263.79 KJ/mol for catechol and 103.91 KJ/mol for pyrogallol. In addition, CtPPO showed stronger heat resistance above 70°C for pyrogallol than catechol in the half-life values, D-values and other thermodynamic parameters. Ascorbic acid was the most effective inhibitor, followed by L-cysteine and citric acid. Purple onion peel extract and pomegranate rind extract were effective natural inhibitors, but the former was more valid