Anthocyanase and Anthocyanin Occurring in Eggplant (Solanum Melangena L.)

Experiments on anthocyanase and anthocyanin in eggplant were carried out by means of Warburg’s manometric method and determination of the anthocyanin. Results show that delphinidin 3-(p-coumaroylrutinoside)-5-glucoside from eggplant is oxidized by the polyphenol oxidase from mushroom, potato and eggplant flesh. The oxidative degradation of the anthocyanin is accelerated in the presence of chlorogenic acid which occurs in eggplant, and a mode of the action stimulating the degradation was discussed.In addition, an evidence was given that the existence of ascrobic acid in the enzymatic system retards the loss of the pigment, due to a coupled reaction, which is of well-known on the other o-dihydroxy phenols. Some observations on the product from the reaction mixture indicate that such decolorization of the anthocyanin progresses directly without hydrolysis of the glucosidic linkage.