Potential Competency of Glucose Oxidase for Modification of Flower Colour in Carthamus Tinctorius

Abstract

Glucose was found to be a potential stimulator of carthamin formation in triturated florets of C. tinctorius. At a 10 m M glucose level, carthamin-producing activity was raised from 3.2-fold (upper) to 2.0-fold (lower) level compared with the control having no sugar. Glucose oxidase(β-D-glucose: oxygen 1-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.4) from Aspergillus niger could catalyze the conversion of precarthamin to carthamin, indicative of flower colour modification inC. tinctorius. For optimum reaction, precarthamin, β-D-glucose, and oxygen were required.No manganese enhanced the catalytic enzyme process. © 1992, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.