title: A spectrophotometric assay for allicin and alliinase (Alliin lyase) activity: reaction of 2-nitro-5-thiobenzoate with thiosulfinates.
abstract: Allicin (diallylthiosulfinate) is the main biologically active component of freshly crushed garlic cloves. It is produced upon the interaction of the nonprotein amino acid alliin with the enzyme alliinase (alliin lyase, EC 4.4.1.4). A simple and rapid spectrophotometric procedure for determination of allicin and alliinase activity, based on the reaction between 2-nitro-5-thiobenzoate (NTB) and allicin, is described. NTB reacts with the activated disulfide bond --S(O)-S--; of allicin, forming the mixed-disulfide allylmercapto-NTB, as characterized by NMR. The method can be used for determination of allicin and total thiosulfinates in garlic preparations and garlic-derived products. The method was applied for determination of pure alliinase activity and for the activity of the enzyme in crude garlic extracts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel. bfmiron@wiccmail.weizmann.il
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miron
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rabinkov
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mirelman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilchek
mesh_terms: D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004220:Disulfides; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009579:Nitrobenzoates / Q000737:chemistry*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004220:Disulfides; D009579:Nitrobenzoates; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C011136:thionitrobenzoic acid; C006452:allicin; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C019243:alliin lyase