Physiological and Chemical Studies on Ascorbic Acid of Fruits and Vegetables

This investigation was carrid out to clarify the mechanism of Chlorophyll degradation and the physiological function of ascorbic acid in the course of yellowing in leaf vegetables.1) When parsley, spinach, and garland chrysanthemum were stored at 20°C, Chlorophyll and L-ascorbic acid content in the leaves, especially in parsley, decreased markedly with increased yellowing.2) In parsley, the activities of Chlorophyllase and ascorbate oxidase showed a sharp decline with yellowing. Catalase activity did not show a marked change. On the other hand, peroxidase activity increaed remarkably with yellowing.3) It was found that peroxidase degraded Chlorophyll in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.4) The degradation of Chlorophyll by peroxidase was inhibited by the addition of L-ascorbic acid.These results indicate that the Chlorophyll degradation in parsley depends on the action of peroxidase in the presence of peroxide and that L-ascorbic acid inhibits such degradation.