The enzymic hydrolysis of amygdalin

Abstract

Chromatographic examina-tion has shown that the enzymic hydrolysis of [commercial] amygdalin by an almond [beta]-glucosidase preparation proceeds consecutively: amygdalin was hydrolyzed to prunasin and glucose; prunasin to mandeloni-trile and glucose; mandelonitrile to benzaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid. Gentiobiose was not formed during the enzymic hydrolysis. The kinetics of the production of mandelonitrile and hydrocyanic acid from amygdalin by the action of the [beta]-glucosidase preparation favor the probability that 3 different enzymes are involved, each specific for one hydrolytic stage, namely, amygdalin lyase, prunasin lyase and hydroxy-nitrile lyase. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis of the enzyme preparation showed that it contained a number of enzymically active components.