CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPHENOL OXIDASE IN ATAULFO
Transcription
CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPHENOL OXIDASE IN ATAULFO
C H A R A C T E R I Z AT I O N O F P O L Y P H E N O L O X I D A S E I N AT A U L F O M A N G O A University Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, East Bay In Partial Fullfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Biochemistry By Summervir Cheema December, 2015 Abstract Ataulfo mango is prone to bruising due to its soft skin. The enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) contributes to the browning of bruised fruit which lowers their appeal and nutritional value. PPO activity in crude extracts prepared from Ataulfo mango was characterized in this study. Crude extracts of Ataulfo exhibited PPO activity with the substrates pyrogallol, 3-methylcatechol, catechol, gallic acid, and protocatechuic acid. The substrate dependent pH optima ranged from pH 5.4 to 6.4 with MichaelisMenten constants between 0.84 ± 0.09 mM and 4.6 ± 0.7 mM in 2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid and phosphate buffers. The use of acetate buffers resulted in larger Michaelis-Menten constants up to 14.62 ± 2.03 mM. Sodium ascorbate, glutathione, and kojic acid were promising inhibitors to prevent enzymatic browning in Ataulfo. PPO remains active at temperatures up to 70°C. PPO activity increased with ripeness and was always higher in the skin compared to the pulp. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) enhanced PPO activity with pulp showing stronger activation than skin. SDS-PAGE gels stained for catecholase activity showed multiple bands, but the most prominent and ubiquitous band was located at an apparent molecular weight of 53 kDa. Bands with higher apparent molecular weights of 112 kDa and 144 kDa were detected in skin samples or pulp samples of overripe Ataulfo. Protein content in pulp ranged from 2.8 ± 0.7 mg/g to 21.4 ± 1.8 mg/g for different ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango. For skin samples the protein content ranged from 3.1 ± 0.3 mg/g to 13.2 ±0.3 mg/g. PPO activity in Ataulfo mango pulp varied from 8.99 ± 0.82 IU/g to 20.74 ± 5.98 IU/g, and 5.25 ± 0.49 IU/g to 67.90 ± 14.77 IU/g in pulp and skin of differnt ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango. Overall, this study includes ii important information for researchers who seek to improve mango quality as PPO plays a major role in the browning of bruised or cut mango. iii Acknowledgements This project was done with the aid and help of Dr. Sommerhalter and the Biochemistry Department of CSU East Bay. I would like to dedicate all my work to Dr. Sommerhalter, my professors, my lab friends Tuan, Robin, Eric, Karishma, Stephen and the whole Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry of CSU East Bay. I especially want to thank Khanh for helping with the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Without all your effort this thesis would not have been possible. “Research is to see what everybody else has seen and to think what nobody else has thought” - v Albert Szent Gyorgyi Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………………..ii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………v List of Figures……………………………………………………………………….viii List of Tables………………………………………………………………………...xii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Mango cultivars and their economic importance…………………………...1 1.2 Bioactive compounds in mango…………………………………………….5 1.3 Importance of phenolic content in Ataulfo mango………………………....6 1.4 Effect of ripening on mango fruit…………………………………………..7 1.5 Effect of storage conditions on mango fruit………………………………..8 1.6 Polyphenol oxidase………………………………………………………....8 1.7 Scope of thesis……………………………………………………………...9 2 Methods and Materials 11 2.1 Crude extract preparation………………………………………………….11 2.2 Determination of protein content………………………………………….14 2.3 PPO activity measurements……………………………………………….16 2.4 Molar extinction coefficient determination of quinones ………………….18 2.5 Protein electrophoresis…………………………………………………….19 2.6 Inhibition of PPO activity in crude extracts of Ataulfo mango……….......22 3 Results & Discussions 23 3.1 pH optima…………………………………………………………………23 3.2 Effect of substituents present in substrates on PPO activity and pH optima in Ataulfo mango extract……………………………………………..30 3.3 Kinetic parameters of substrate concentrations variations on PPO activity….38 vi 3.4 Thermostability of PPO…………………………………………………...43 3.5 Inhibition of PPO activity in crude extracts of Ataulfo mango…………...44 3.6 Phenolic Content determination…………………………………………...56 3.7 Dependence of PPO activity on the maturity in the skin versus pulp of Ataulfo mango..….………………………………………..……………..…...58 3.8 Apparent molecular weight of bands with PPO actvity in partially denaturing SDS-PAGE ………………………………………..…………...…65 Conclusions 69 References 71 vii List of Figures Figure 1.1.1: Ataulfo mango used for research study................................................. 1 Figure 1.1.2: Other fruits & flowering plants of Anacardiacae family ....................... 1 Figure 1.1.3: Versatile mango products ..................................................................... 2 Figure 1.1.4: World ranking production of mango .................................................... 3 Figure 1.1.5: Comparison between the gross production of mangoes, mangosteen, and guavas in India, Pakistan, and Mexico ........................................... 4 Figure 1.1.6: Popular cultivars of mango in United States of America....................... 5 Figure 2.1.1: Ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango ...................................................... 12 Figure 2.1.2: Seperation of Ataulfo mango skin and pulp at ripeness stage three ..... 12 Figure 2.1.3: Sample preparation and extraction steps ............................................. 13 Figure 2.2.1: Bradford assay showing the increasing amout of protein concentration after binding of protein to Commassie Reagent ............ 14 Figure 2.2.2: Bradford standard curve showing linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.1–1.0 mg/mL total protein .......................... 15 Figure 2.3.1: PPO activity assay plate showing color formation after adding extract, & substrates catechol, pyrogallol, gallic acid, & 3- methyl catechol………………………………………………………………..17 Figure 2.3.2: Measurement of typical PPO activity assay in a total volume of 300 µl with 30 mM catechol substrate, 20 µl of mango extract…………...17 Figure 2.5.1: Reactiom mechanism for the formation of the blue adduct between Orthobenzoquinone and ADA ........................................................... 21 Figure 3.1.1: pH optima profile for catechol as substrate......................................... 24 viii Figure 3.1.2: pH optima profile for pyrogallol as substrate...................................... 25 Figure 3.1.3: pH optima profile for 3- methylcatechol as substrate .......................... 26 Figure 3.1.4: pH optima profile for gallic acid as substrate...................................... 27 Figure 3.1.5: pH optima profile for 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid as substrate ........... 28 Figure 3.1.6: pH optima profile for L-DOPA as substrate ................ …....................29 Figure 3.2.1: Slope yielding the molar absorptivity values for the oxidation product of catechol.………………………………...………...……….32 Figure 3.2.2: Slope yielding the molar absorptivity values for the oxidation product of pyrogallol………………………………………....……….33 Figure 3.2.3: Slope yielding the molar absorptivity values for the oxidation product of 3- methylcatechol.………………………………….…..….34 Figure 3.2.4: Slope yielding the molar absorptivity values for the oxidation product of protocatechuic acid.………………………………...……..35 Figure 3.2.5: Slope yielding the molar absorptivity values for the oxidation product of gallic acid………..……………………………...………....36 Figure 3.2.6: Slope yielding the molar absorptivity values for the oxidation product of L-DOPA………..……………………………...……….....37 Figure 3.3.1: Dependence of PPO activity on the concentration of the substrate Catechol for various buffers…………………………………………..40 Figure 3.3.2: Dependence of PPO activity on the concentration of the substrate Pyrogallol for various buffers ............................................................ 41 Figure 3.3.3: Dependence of PPO activity on the concentration of the substrate 3- methyl catechol for various buffers................................................ 42 Figure 3.4.1: PPO activity of crude Ataulfo extract assayed at different ix temperature (30˚- 90˚C) using catechol as substrate………. ........ …..43 Figure 3.5.1: Effect of different concentrations of sodium azide inhibitor on PPO activity….……………………………………………………………..46 Figure 3.5.2: Effect of different concentrations of EDTA inhibitor on PPO activity….……………………………………………………………..47 Figure 3.5.3: Effect of different concentrations of sodium chloride inhibitor on PPO activity…………………………………………………………...48 Figure 3.5.4: Effect of different concentrations of glutathione inhibitor on PPO activity .............................................................................................. 49 Figure 3.5.5: Effect of different concentrations of benzoic acid on PPO activity ..... 50 Figure 3.5.6: Effect of different concentrations of kojic acid on PPO activity.......... 51 Figure 3.5.7: Effect of different concentrations of citric acid PPO activity .............. 52 Figure 3.5.8: Effect of different concentrations of sodium ascorbate on PPO activity ................................................................................................... 53 Figure 3.5.9: Effect of different concentrations of sodium meta-bisulfite on PPO activity .............................................................................................. 54 Figure 3.5.10: Effect of different concentrations of beta-mercapto-ethanol on PPO activity .............................................................................................. 54 Figure 3.6.1: Gallic acid standard curve .................................................................. 56 Figure 3.7.1: Mango pulp extracts at different ripeness stages ................................. 61 Figure 3.7.2: Mango skin extracts at different ripeness stages .................................. 61 Figure 3.7.3: PPO activity of all ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango pulp .................. 62 Figure 3.7.4: PPO activity of all ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango skin .................. 62 Figure 3.7.5: Effect of SDS (1% w/v) on PPO activity of Ataulfo mango pulp x and skin…………. ............................................................................. 63 Figure 3.7.6: Protein content in Ataulfo mango pulp and skin ................................. 64 Figure 3.8.1: Partially denaturing 4-20% Tris-glycine SDS-PAGE gel stained for loaded with Ataulfo pulp samples ....................................................... 67 Figure 3.8.2: Partially denaturing 4-20% Tris-glycine SDS-PAGE gel stained for PPO activity loaded with Ataulfo skin samples ................................... 68 xi List of Tables Table 1: Apparent molecular weights of proteins in the See Blue pre-stained standard on a 4-20 % Tris-glycine gel……………………………………..20 Table 2: PPO activity for diphenolic and triphenolic substrates with information on molar absorptivity of quinone-product and monitored wavelength ....... 31 Table 3: Enzyme kinetic parameters obtained by fitting substrate variation curves .. 39 Table 4: Effect of various inhibitors on PPO activity in crude extracts of Ataulfo ... 45 Table 5: PPO activity and protein content in dependence of ripeness stage of pulp and skin Ataulfo samples........................................................................... 60 xii 1 1 Introduction 1.1 Mango cultivars and their economic importance Mango (Mangifera indica) belongs to the flowering plant family commonly known as Anacardiaceae [1, 2, 3]. Other members of this family include cashew or poison ivy, poison oak, marula, pistachio, jamaica plum, yellow mombin, sumac, smoke tree, and cuachalalate [4, 5, 6]. Figure 1.1.1 : Ataulfo Mango used for research study Origin: Mexico Season: March-July Family:Anacardiaceae Genus: Mangifera Figure 1.1.2: Other fruits & flowering plant of Anacardiaceae family [6]. Mango is a dicot plant, enriched in high amounts of acids and sugars contributing to pleasant or luscious flavor and high nutritional value [7]. Organic 2 acids and sugar predominantly impact the flavor properties of mango. The sucrose content of the mango, resulting from starch hydrolysis is the paramount cause of chemical change and extent sweetening in the fruit [1]. Mango varieties are used to prepare traditional products such as amchur, amsath, lassi, chutney, sharbat, vinager, pickle, and murabba (Jam) [8, 9, 10]. Mango fruit is beneficial for acne, anemia, and hypertension problems, and also contains glutamine which improves the memory [9, 11]. Ripened mango is further used for medicinal purposes as diuretic and laxative. However, arcid juice present in the stalk of mango fruit is due to myrcene and ocimene, can give rise to allergenic constituents such as urushiol, or 5- heptadecenylresorcinol [12]. Murraba Pickle Chutney Amchur Ampapar Lassi Mango kalakand Figure 1.1.3: Versatile mango products [12]. Mango fruit can be found in tropical countries (Indo-Malaysian region) but is available all over the world including India, China, Burma, Indonesia, Central 3 America, Florida (USA), West Indies, Africa/Arabian Peninsula, and South America [2, 3]. Notably, Mexico is the leading export country for mango after India and China with 1.5 million tons production as reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization in 2002 [13]. 1st India 2nd China 3rd Thailand 4th Indonesia 5th Pakistan 6th Mexico Figure 1.1.4: World ranking production of mango. This graph was generated using data from reference [2]. India has the highest production of mango (13.6 millions of tons) followed by China (4.2 millions of tons), Thailand (2.5 millions of tons), Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, and Mexico [2, 14, 15]. Mango fruit is available and exported (912,853 metric tonnes in 2005) throughout the year and is gaining importance as a commodity fruit in the Western Hemisphere [1]. A total of 912,853 metric tons were exported to the US in 2005 with a market value of $ 543.10 million [1]. 4 Figure 1.1.5: Comparison between the gross production of mangoes, mangosteen, and guavas in India, Pakistan, and Mexico FAOSTAT 2014. Reference [10]. The following cultivars are popular in the Western Hemisphere: Tommy Atkins, Haden, Kent, Keitt (all four developed in Florida), Francis from Haiti, and Ataulfo discovered in Mexico [16]. The mango variant Ataufo has an attractive vibrant yellow color, flattened oval shape, sweet taste, and string-less flesh [16]. Ataulfo is one of the mango varieties which are found in the tropical rain forest, and are produced in warm climate with moist conditions and harvested in many parts of Mexico, California, and Florida [2]. 5 Figure 1.1.6: Popular cultivars of mango in United States of America. Reference [16] 1.2 Bioactive Compounds in Mango Mango is an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamin A, B6, B complex, C, D, & E, phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, beta-carotene, niacin, pectin, and minerals, such as calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium [7, 14, 17]. Ataulfo mango peel is also a great source of amino acids such as leucine, valine, and lysine [2]. Phenolic compounds are the most significant bioactive compounds found in peels, flesh and seeds of mango fruits, and can act as antimicrobial or antioxidant agents [18]. Citric acid is the major organic acid among oxalic, malic, succinic, pyruvic, adipic, galacturonic, and glucuronic acid present in mango fruit [7, 14]. Mango fruit has antimutagens and antineoplastics which lower the risk of carcinogenesis. It was shown that mango extracts can inhibit 6 cell proliferation in the leukemic cell line HL-60 [19]. Mango phenols such as quercetin, isoquircitrin, astragalin, fisetin, and gallic acid might have the ability to lower the risk of carcinogenesis [11]. Ataulfo mango is great source of dietary polyphenols [20]. Ataulfo mango flesh (or pulp) contains gallic acid, gallotannins, mangiferin, quercetin, kaempferol, phydroxy-benzoic acid, m-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid [14]. Mangiferin, isomangiferin, xanthone C-glucosides are found in Ataulfo mango extracts and synthesized through cyclization of benzophenones [20]. The main phenolic compounds found in Ataulfo mango pulp were determined to be pentagalloyl glucose, and gallic acid by HPLC [21, 22, 23]. 1.3 Importance of Phenolic Content in Ataulfo Mango Phenolic content determination in food is crucial, due to chronic diseases arising from free radicals [24]. In the human body, free radicals modify the structures of lipids and DNA [25]. Therefore, antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables prevent cell damage and lower the risk of chronic diseases by inhibiting the oxidation process generating free radicals [24]. Mango (Mangifera indica) fruits are rich in antioxidant, and consumed easily in diet [21, 24]. Ataulfo mango pulp accommodates the highest phenolic content (109.3 ± 14.8 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g puree), among the other varieties of mango [22]. Gallic acid was determined to have the highest Radical Scavenging Activity (RSA = 30.47 ± 1.8%) via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) quenching assay in comparison with other phenols such as protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, and vanillic acid [21]. It was suggested that the meta-position of the third hydroxyl group in gallic acid caused high antioxidant capacity [21]. 7 1.4 Effects of Ripening on Mango Fruit The ripening process has a huge impact on phenolic content, vitamin C content and antioxidant capacity [24, 26, 27]. The main characteristic of Ataulfo mango is the ripeness stage and the quality which highly affect the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the fruit [28, 29]. The textural characteristics of mango fruit including color change, and firmness are cultivator specific, and considerably altered by ripeness, and the harvesting period [30]. Ataulfo mango phenolic content (174 mg gallic acid equivilants/100 g fresh weight) and antioxidant capacity determined to be highest at its ripeness stage with yellow surface area, followed by phenolic content of green ripened flesh extract (prepared with 80% ethanol, or 80% acetone) of Mangifera Indica cv. Siku Raja (70.52 ± 0.05 μg gallic acid equivilants/g sample) and Mangifera Petandra cv. Pauh (142.57 ± 0.38 μg gallic acid equivilants/g sample) [27, 29, 31]. The unriped stage of mango has starch in great extent, which owes much of its functionality to two major carbohydrate components known as amylose, amylopectin, and also used in confectionary industry [3]. Starch is degraded by amylases in the ripening process of mango, and converted into fructose, glucose, and sucrose [32, 33]. Fructose is the predominant sugar in the mango with high sugar content in excess of 90% of the total soluble solid content [32]. Also, acidity (pH) plays a significant role in flavor enhancement of fruit juices and beverages [7]. During the ripening period, the mature fruit undergoes deterioration in quality [32]. Notably, the acidity and activity in the citrate acid cycle decrease during the maturation stage of mango [7]. Acidity, gallic acid, gallotannins were declined due to the ripening process with loss of astringency [14]. 8 1.5 Effects of Storage Conditions on Mango Fruit Storage conditions such as temperature and hydrostatic pressure contribute to the quality and color change by varying total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity [24, 26, 31]. Ataulfo mango can maintain high vitamin C levels and visual quality for 9 days stored at 5 °C [26]. Fresh cut mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Ataulfo) slices stored at 5 °C, had total phenolic content under dark (9.0 ± 0.3 mg 100 g-¹ of fresh weight) and light (9.5 ± 0.2 mg 100 g-¹ of fresh weight) conditions [26, 28]. Ascorbic acid synthesis is reduced, and the initial concentration of chlorogenic acid decreases to 38% with high hydrostatic pressure [31]. 1.6 Polyphenol Oxidase Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is the major factor for initiating browning or discoloration in fruit and vegetables. Browning results in a loss of nutritional value and limits the visual appeal and palpability of the fruit [7]. PPO catalyzes the aerobic oxidation of phenolic compounds into highly reactive quinones which polymerize into dark colored melanin by auto-oxidation, turning the skin of the mango brown and sometimes blackish brown [34, 35]. In some plants, PPOs also catalyze the hydroxylation of monophenols to ortho-diphenols (monophenolase or cresolase activity; EC 1.14.18.1) followed by the more common oxidation of ortho-diphenols to ortho-quinones (diphenolase or catecholase activity, EC 1.10.3.1). Melanin is produced by melanogenesis in which PPO oxidizes tyrosine into dopa-quinone which 9 further polymerize into 5,6-dihydroxyindole resulting in the formation of insoluble polymers referred to as melanins [36]. Cross linking reactions and interactions of quinones with the side chains of amino acids (containing - SH, -NH2) cause lack of nutritional and functional value in food proteins [35]. PPO enzymes are ubiquitous in seed plants (angiosperms), and are present as multiple isozymes in many plants [37]. PPO has alternative names such as tyrosinase, or catechol oxidase. PPO enzymes are mostly localized in plastids. Their substrate specificities, and degree of inhibition vary greatly among different plant tissues [35, 38]. The active site of PPO contains two copper ions coordinated with three nitrogen atoms from adjacent histidine residues [36]. PPOs are also involved in pathogen defense, and several other cellular processes, such as control of oxygen levels in chloroplasts [34, 39]. PPO contributes to wound healing of plants. PPO is mainly found in mango peel along with other vital enzymes such as pectinase, protease, and xylanase [40]. 1.7 Scope of thesis The fruit has ‘majestic appeal’ to consumers all over the world but Ataulfo and other mango varieties are easily bruised upon harvesting and transportation. When produced in large quantities the amount of wastage is high. It is therefore valuable for the fruit industry to identify reasons for wastage and to limit it. Studies on the enzyme PPO extracted from mango pulp of the variety Tainong, sap and skin of the Australian variety Kensington, and mango kernels from an African mango variety have already been performed [41-43]. This research characterizes PPO in Ataulfo mango which is of great interest for the food and agricultural industry. To improve handling and processing of mango, different ways to inhibit the enzyme that catalyzes enzymatic browning are explored. The main attention of our research was to characterize PPO 10 activity in the skin and pulp of the variety Ataulfo mango with a focus on ripeness stage of Ataulfo, pH dependence and substrate specificity of PPO and inhibitor effectiveness. The results of this study will help to increase the appeal of this healthy fruit. 11 2 Methods & Materials 2.1 Crude Extract Preparation Ataulfo mangoes were obtained from a local supermarket (Safeway in Castro Valley, California). The fruits were stored at room temperature in a dry place in dark. Crude extracts were prepared at six different stages of ripeness as determined by visual and sensorial inspection. Based on the description of color and firmness, ripeness stage R1 was very green, immature, and hard to the touch. Stage R2 was green with yellow patches, but still hard and immature, whereas stages R3 and R4 were mature and slightly soft to the touch with increasing yellow coloration. Stages R5 and R6 were over-ripe with increasing brown coloration. Stage R6 was very soft to the touch. The skin and pulp of each fruit were separated from each other with a razor blade and further cut into smaller pieces before blending three times in 30 second intervals with an extraction buffer composed of 0.1M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.8 with 1% v/v Triton X-100, and 1 % w/v polyvinylpyrrolidone. The ratio of skin or pulp weight in grams to the volume of extraction buffer in milliliters was 1:5 with the exception of the sample R6-skin, for which a 1:10 ratio was used as this batch resulted in a particularly dense and thick extract. To screen for best assay conditions, another crude extract was prepared with an additional yellow, mature Ataulfo mango (stage R3) including its skin and pulp. All extracts were clarified by centrifugation for 30 minutes at 37,750 g and 4 ˚C. All samples were kept on ice or stored in small aliquots at -80 °C until further use. The extract samples were tested in the laboratory for pH optima, protein content, and the PPO activity of enzyme. The action of polyphenol oxidase in fruits depends on the temperature, the pH value, and the substrate which will be discussed further in this thesis. 12 Figure 2.1.1: Ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango – The visual appearance of Ataulfo mango stored at room temperature for up to 14 days. These mangoes were bought from safeway local grocery maket in castro valley california. Figure 2.1.2: Seperation of Ataulfo mango skin (left), and pulp (right) at ripeness stage three (RS3) during research study. 13 Mango Cutting Homogenized Buffer Grinding Extract filled in tube Balancing Centrifugation Supernatent removed Running Assay Micro-plate Reader Figure 2.1.3: Sample preparation and extraction steps. These instruments and lab equipments were used in Biochem lab, room # North 441, in C.S.U East Bay. 14 2.2 Determination of Protein Content Total protein content was determined using the Bradford assay with a Coomassie blue protein assay kit and bovine gamma globulin standards. The standards and assay reagents were purchased from Thermo Scientific, and were used in 0.125, 0.250, 0.500, 0.750, 1.000, and 1.500 mg/ml concentrations. Absorption measurements were performed with a Synergy H1 plate reader from Biotek. The assay was performed by mixing 250 µl of Commassie Reagent with 5 µl of sample followed by ten minute incubation before measuring the absorbance at 595 nm. StdCurve 1.000 0.900 0.800 595 0.700 0.600 0.500 0.400 0.300 0.000 200.000 400.000 600.000 800.000 1000.000 1200.000 1400.000 1600.000 <Concentrations/Dilutions> Figure 2.2.1: Bradford assay showing the increasing amout of protein concentration after binding of protein to Commassie Reagent (top). The calibration curve of the Bradford assay (bottom) with positive slope indicates that as protein concentration increases, absorption at 595 nm also increases. This data was observed during the Bradford assay study. 15 To validate the method for crude extracts from Ataulfo, serial dilutions were prepared with samples R4-pulp, R3-skin, and R4-skin. The Bradford assay provided a linear response in the concentration range of 0.1–1.0 mg/mL total protein with correlation coefficients of 0.95 or higher. All samples were diluted with deionized water so that their protein content fell within this linear range. 1.4 R3 skin R4 pulp R4 skin y = 0.0002x + 0.4198 y = 0.0003x + 0.4217 y = 0.0003x + 0.4051 R² = 0.9248 R² = 0.9444 R² = 0.9694 Absorbance at 595 nm 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0 500 1000 Protein content (μg/mL) 1500 2000 Figure 2.2.2: Bradford standard curve showing linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.1-1.0 mg/mL total protein. 16 2.3 PPO Activity Measurements The phenol oxidase activity was determined by monitoring the formation of colored quinone products from various di- and tri-phenol substrates via timedependent absorbance measurements using a Synergy H1 plate reader from Biotek. The temperature was set to 25 ˚C. A typical assay mixture contained 5-20 µL mango extract in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. The pH was controlled by using various buffers at 60-68 mM strength in the assay. Sodium acetate was used to cover the pH range 3.8 - 5.6. Sodium phosphate and 2- (N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid (MES) were employed for the pH ranges 5.6 - 7.8 and 5.2 - 6.6, respectively. Tris-HCl was used to cover the pH range 7.2 - 9.0. Substrate concentrations were varied between 0.2 mM and 30 mM to determine the enzyme kinetic parameter Km. Substrate dependent PPO activity curves were fit to the Michaelis-Menten equation using the program Enzfitter from Biosoft. In experiments to determine pH optima and substrate specificity or inhibitor effectiveness, the final substrate concentration in the assay mixture was 30 mM. To determine the effectiveness of various inhibitors the PPO activity, assays were conducted in 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8 with 30 mM catechol and different concentrations of inhibitors in the range 20 mM to 0.02 mM. Two controls, without mango extract or without substrate, were subtracted from all main assays. These two control reactions were based on 30 min time dependent absorbance measurements measured at 1 min time intervals. 17 Figure 2.3.1: PPO activity assay plate showing color formation after adding extract, and substrates catechol (yellow color, first row), pyrogallol (dark yellow color, second row), gallic acid (green color, third row), and 3- methyl catechol (pink color, fourth row). Reference - Table 2. Assay Mango extract control Catechol control Absorbance at 420 nm 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0 5 10 Time (minutes) 15 20 25 Figure 2.3.2: Measurement of typical PPO activity assay in a total volume of 300 uL with 30 mM catechol substrate, 20 uL of mango extract. Two controls are also shown, one without mango extract and the other without catechol. Reference -Table 2. 18 2.4 Molar Extinction Coefficient Determination of Quinones Quinones are formed from phenols by an oxidation reaction catalyzed by PPO. Molar absorptivity is a measure of the amount of light absorbed per unit concentration, and per pathlength. A compound with a high molar absorptivity is very effective at absorbing light (of the appropriate wavelength), and hence low concentrations of a compound with high molar absorptivity can be easily detected. The molar absorptivity values (ε) for the quinone products were determined by oxidizing the diphenolic substrates with a 20-fold excess of sodium periodate as described in reference [44]. The experiment was conducted by making dilution series of 10 mM stock solution of diphenolic substrates catechol in different buffers such as 0.1 M of sodium phosphate, sodium acetate, MES, and TRIS-HCl with in pH range of 3.8-8.8. Sodium periodate stock solution at a cncentration of 500 mM was prepared by adding 2.673 g of sodium periodate in 25 mL of deionized water. The typical assay had subtrate, buffer, and sodium periodate in a total volume of 1000 µL of the assay. Absorbance readings with different substrate concentrations at 1 mM, 0.75 mM, 0.5 mM ,0.25 mM, 0.1 mM were performed and recorded at wavelength of 400, 420, 320, and 380 nm. Under these conditions, the reaction was instantaneous and the molar absorptivity values were determined reliably. The data was fitted to Beer-Lambert law: 𝑨 = 𝜺 ∗ 𝒄 ∗ 𝒍 Where A is the absorbance at a given wavelength, ε is the molar absorptivity (M-1 cm-1), c is the concentration in (M), and l is the pathlength of light through the cuvette (1 cm). To calculate the PPO activity in IU the slope (absorbance/min) is divided by the molar absorptivity, ε, and a path length correction factor for the plate 19 reader and multiplied by the assay volume. One Unit (abbreviated IU) of PPO activity corresponds to the formation of one µmole quinone per minute. 2.5 Protein Electrophoresis Protein electrophoresis is a method for qualitative analysis of the proteins in a fluid or an extract. It is a technique to find information about the molecular weight and charges of proteins. Skin and pulp Ataulfo samples were prepared under partially denaturing conditions by mixing them with an equal volume of loading buffer composed of 1% w/v SDS, 20% v/v glycerol, and 100 mM TRIS-HCl, pH 6.8. The samples were not heated or reduced. Tris-glycine gels with a 4 - 20% acrylamide gradient and the SeeBlue pre-stained protein standard (Table 1) were procured from Lifescience Technology. The gels were run in a cold room at 4 ˚C and 125 mV constant voltage for approximately 1.5 hours in a running buffer composed of 3.02 g TRIS-base, 18.8 g glycine, and 1 g SDS per liter distilled water. The gels were stained for PPO activity according to the procedure listed in reference [45] with the exception of replacing the tertiary butyl-catechol reagent for catechol. The method was fast and specific and was based on a coupling reaction between o-benzoquinone and the aromatic amine, 4-amino N, N-diethylaniline (ADA). Catecholase activity of polyphenol oxidase appears as blue stained bands on a colourless background. Pictures of gels were recorded with a Chemi Doc MP Imaging System from BioRad. The determination of apparent molecular weights was performed with the software Image Lab from BioRad. 20 Table 1: Apparent molecular weight of See Blue pre-stained standard on a 4-20% Tris-Glysine gel. Bands color and molecular weights were obtained from the protein kit of see - blue pre stained standard. BANDS PROTEIN MOLECULAR Weight ( K da) Myosin 200 Phosphorylase 148 BSA 98 Glutamic dehydrogenase 64 Alcohol dehydrogenase 50 Carbonic anhydrase 36 Myoglobin 30 Lysozyme 16 Aprotinin 6 Insulin B-chain 4 21 Figure 2.5.1: Reaction mechanism for the formation of blue adduct between orthobenzoquinone and ADA. (A) Oxidation of catechol to o-benzoquinone catalysed by PPO. (B) The condensation reaction leading to the Schiff-base adduct. Reference - [4] 22 2.6 Inhibition of PPO Activity in Crude Extracts of Ataulfo Mango The characterization of PPO inhibition is a major goal of this study as inhibitors are essential to control food browning. In previous studies, preservatives such as potassium metabisulfite (PMS), sodium benzoate, and citric acid were used for the reduction of browning casued by PPO [7]. In our study, PPO activity with the substrate catechol was monitored in the presence of various inhibitors including reducing agents, acidulants and chelators. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the listed inhibitors at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in duplicate. Listed below are all types of inhibitors used in this study. Sodium metabisulfite, Glutathione, REDUCING AGENTS Ascorbic acid, Beta-mercaptoethanol, Sodium ascorbate Sodium azide, Benzoic acid, EDTA, CHELATORS Kojic acid ACIDULANTS Citric acid, Ascorbic acid ELECTROLYTES Sodium chloride 23 3 Results & Discussion 3.1 pH Optima PPO activity is dependent on the type of substrates, buffers and their pH conditions used in the assay. The pH optimum for PPO activity with catechol as a substrate in the crude extract of Ataulfo mango was determined to be 5.6 (Fig. 3.1.1), which is close to the pH optimum of 6.5 observed for PPO activity in cashew apple [5]. PPO activity is maximum at neutral pH (7) for marula fruit and for mango pulp in another study [4, 41]. A buffer functions to resist changes in hydrogen ion concentration, and may provide essential cofactors for enzymatically driven reactions. All buffers have an optimal pH range over which they are able to moderate changes in hydrogen ion concentration. The optimum pH which was examined with the usage of buffer 0.1 M sodium acetate (pH 3.8 to 5.6), 0.1 M MES (pH 5.2-6.6), 0.1 M sodium phosphate (pH 5.8-7.8), and 0.1 M Tris (pH 7-9) at 25 ˚C. Control assays without mango extract and substrate were performed and subtracted from the presented data. All measurements were performed in triplicate and duplicate. Each value represents the mean of triplicate/duplicate, and error bars represented as standard deviations. Other diphenolic or triphenolic substrates such as 3-methyl-catechol, gallic acid, pyrogallol, L-DOPA, and protocatechuic acid were tested for pH optima, and their profiles are shown below. 24 9 8 7 Sodium acetate buffer mOD/min at 420 nm 6 MES buffer 5 Sodium phosphate buffer 4 3 2 1 0 3 -1 5 7 9 pH value Figure 3.1.1: pH optima profile for catechol as substrate. The typical assay had 30 µL of mango extract, buffers at 60 mM, and substrate with 30 mM final concentration in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. Reference - Table 2. 25 25 20 mOD/min at 320 nm 15 Sodium acetate buffer 10 MES buffer Sodium phosphate buffer 5 0 3 -5 4 5 6 7 8 pH value Figure 3.1.2: pH optima profile for pyrogallol as substrate. The typical assay had 5 µL of mango extract, buffers at 68 mM, and substrate with 30 mM final concentration in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. Reference - Table 2. 26 16 14 mOD/min at 400 nm 12 10 Sodium acetate buffer 8 Sodium phosphate buffer 6 MES buffer 4 2 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 pH values Figure 3.1.3: pH optima profile for 3-methylcatechol as substrate. The typical assay had 20 µL of mango extract, buffers at 63 mM, and substrate with 30 mM final concentration in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. Reference - Table 2. 27 4 3.5 Sodium acetate buffer 3 mOD/min at 380 nm 2.5 Sodium phosphate buffer 2 TRIS buffer 1.5 1 0.5 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 -0.5 pH values Figure 3.1.4: pH optima profile for gallic acid as substrate. The typical assay had 5 µL of mango extract, buffers at 68 mM, and substrate with 30 mM final concentration in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. Reference - Table 2. 28 4.5 4 3.5 Sodium acetate buffer mOD/min at 420 nm 3 Sodium phosphate buffer 2.5 2 MES buffer 1.5 TRIS buffer 1 0.5 0 3 -0.5 5 7 9 pH values Figure 3.1.5: pH optima profile for 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid as substrate. The typical assay had 20 µL of mango extract, buffers at 63 mM, and substrate with 30 mM final concentration in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. Reference - Table 2. 29 3 Sodium acetate buffer 2.5 MES buffer mOD /min at 475 nm 2 Sodium phosphate buffer TRIS buffer 1.5 1 0.5 0 2 3 4 5 pH values 6 7 8 Figure 3.1.6: pH optima profile for L-DOPA as substrate. The typical assay had 20 µL of mango extract, buffers at 63 mM, and substrate with 30 mM final concentration in a total reaction volume of 300 µL. Reference - Table 2. 30 3.2 Effect of substituents present in substrates on PPO activity and pH optima in Ataulfo mango extract The most commonly used substrates to assess PPO activity in fruit or vegetables are phenolic compounds that derive from catechol. As summarized in Table 2 we employed catechol, 3-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, protocatechuic acid, and gallic acid in this study. The tri-phenolic compound pyrogallol exhibited the highest PPO activity, whereas substrates carrying a carboxylic acid group displayed lower PPO activity than catechol. Catechol and 3-methylcatechol showed similar reactivity and the same pH optimum at 5.4 - 5.6. The presence of an additional hydroxyl group or a carboxylic acid group raised the pH optimum of the PPO catalyzed reaction. At pH values above 7.0, control assays with the triphenolic compounds pyrogallol and gallic acid showed a high auto-oxidation rate in the absence of mango extract, approaching and almost exceeding the rate of the enzyme catalyzed reaction. For all other conditions control assays showed rates that were two orders of magnitude smaller than the main catalyzed reaction. Plots of slopes yielding the molar absorptivity values of each sbstrate are also shown below. 31 Table 2: PPO activity for diphenolic and triphenolic substrates with information on molar absorptivity of quinone-product and monitored wavelength. Substituents R Wavelength Molar pH- PPO activity and R’ (nm) absorptivity optimum (IU/mL)a (M-1 cm-1) Catechol R = R’ = H 420 1110b or 1225c 5.4-5.6 0.21 +/- 0.02 3-Methyl- R = H, 400 1160b or 1420c 5.4-5.6 0.22 +/- 0.01 320 3060b,c 5.8 0.50 +/- 0.05 420 1100b 6.2-6.4 0.059 +/-0.001 380 1610b 6.2-6.4 0.16 +/-0.01 catechol Pyrogallol R’ = CH3 R = H, R’ = OH Protocatechuic acid Gallic acid R = COOH, R’ = H R = COOH, R’ = OH a The mango extract had a total protein content of 2.42 ± 0.30 mg/mL and an extraction ratio of 0.2 g mango per one mL of extraction buffer. The PPO activity was determined with 30 mM substrate concentration. The value at the pH optimum is reported. b,c The molar absorptivity value was determined in phosphate (b) or acetate (c) buffer, respectively. 32 1.6 y = 1.3562x R² = 0.9209 y = 1.2503x R² = 0.9852 1.4 y = 0.8666x R² = 0.9745 Absorbance at 420 nm 1.2 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.4 1 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.6 0.8 0.6 Sodium phosphate buffer pH 5.8 0.4 0.2 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 catechol (mM) 1 1.2 Figure 3.2.1: Slope yielding the molar absorbptivity values for the oxidation product of catechol. The typical assay had 0-1.5 mM concentration of catechol, 0-20 mM of sodium periodate, 86-100 mM buffer strength in a total volume of 1000 µL. Reference - Table 2. 33 3.5 y = 3.015x R² = 0.8947 3 y = 3.0867x R² = 0.8947 y = 2.8383x R² = 0.9743 Absorbance at 320 nm 2.5 2 MES buffer pH 5.8 1.5 Sodium phosphate buffer pH 6 1 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.6 0.5 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 pyrogallol (mM) 1 1.2 Figure 3.2.2: Slope yielding the molar absorbptivity values for the oxidation product of pyrogallol. The typical assay had 0-1.5 mM concentration of pyrogallol, 0-20 mM of sodium periodate, 86-100 mM buffer strength in a total volume of 1000 µL. Reference - Table 2. 34 1.6 y = 1.4367x R² = 0.9213 1.4 y = 1.2022x R² = 0.9748 y = 1.4175x R² = 0.9896 Absorbance at 400 nm 1.2 1 0.8 Sodium acetate pH 5.4 0.6 Sodium phosphate pH 5.6 0.4 Sodium phosphate pH 5.8 0.2 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 3 methyl catechol (mM) 1 1.2 Figure 3.2.3: Slope yielding the molar absorbptivity values for the oxidation product of 3-methylcatechol. The typical assay had 0-1.5 mM concentration of 3 methyl catechol, 0-20 mM of sodium periodate, 86-100 mM buffer strength in a total volume of 1000 µL. Reference - Table 2. 35 5 4.5 y = 10.494x R² = 0.9986 y = 8.9228x R² = 0.9806 y = 8.8393x R² = 0.9943 y = 0.9786x R² = 0.939 4 Absorbance at 420 nm 3.5 Sodium phosphate pH 5.8 3 Sodium phosphate pH 6.2 2.5 2 Sodium phosphate pH 6.6 1.5 Sodium phosphate pH 5.6 1 0.5 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 protocatechuic acid (mM) 1 1.2 Figure 3.2.4: Slope yielding the molar absorbptivity values for the oxidation product of protocatechuic acid. The typical assay had 0-1.5 mM concentration of protocatechuic acid, 0-20 mM of sodium periodate, 86-100 mM buffer strength in a total volume of 1000 µL. Reference - Table 2. 36 4 y = 3.5893x R² = 0.9439 y = 3.2958x R² = 0.9649 y = 0.9318x R² = 0.988 3.5 3 Absorbance at 380 nm Sodium phosphate pH 5.8 2.5 2 Sodium phosphate pH 6.2 1.5 Sodium phosphate pH 6.6 1 0.5 0 0 0.5 1 1.5 gallic acid (mM) Figure 3.2.5: Slope yielding the molar absorbptivity values for the oxidation product of gallic acid. The typical assay had 0-1.5 mM concentration of gallic acid, 0-20 mM of sodium periodate, 86-100 mM buffer strength in a total volume of 1000 µL. Reference - Table 2. 37 4.5 y = 3.5428x R² = 0.9229 y = 3.9002x R² = 0.9564 4 Absorbance at 475 nm 3.5 3 Sodium phosphate pH 6.2 2.5 2 Sodium phosphate pH 6.4 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 0.5 1 L-DOPA (mM) 1.5 Figure 3.2.6: Slope yielding the molar absorbptivity values for the oxidation product of L-DOPA. The typical assay had 0-1.5 mM concentration of L-DOPA, 0-20 mM of sodium periodate, 86-100 mM buffer strength in a total volume of 1000 µL. Reference - Table 2. 38 3.3 Kinetic Parameters of Substrate Concentrations Variations on PPO Activity PPO activity assays with varied substrate concentrations exhibited a typical Michaelis-Menten profile in the concentration range of 0.2 to 30 mM. Higher substrate concentrations often resulted in the formation of opaque solutions or precipitation. This might be due to subsequent reactions involving the highly reactive quinone products formed in the activity assay. The Michaelis-Menten parameters are 1.25 ± 0.14 mM, 1.31 ± 0.18 mM, 0.84 ± 0.09 mM, 4.6 ± 0.7 mM, for the substrates catechol, 3-methylcatechol, pyrogallol, and gallic acid, determined at their respective optimum pH-value using MES or sodium phosphate buffers. For the substrates catechol, 3-methylcatechol, and pyrogallol we recorded Michaelis-Menten profiles at different pH values in acetate, MES, and sodium phosphate buffers. Related graphic parameters are shown in Figure 3.3.1 for the substrate catechol, Figure 3.3.2 for pyrogallol, Figure 3.3.3 for 3-methylcatechol. All determined enzyme kinetic parameters are summarized in Table 3. We noticed that all data recorded with acetate buffers exhibited a pronounced shift to larger Km values. 39 Table 3: Enzyme kinetic parameters obtained by fitting substrate variation curves. An example for catechol is shown in Figure 3.3.1. Substrate Buffer KM (mM) vmax (IU/mL) Catechol Sodium acetate, pH 5.4 14.62 ± 2.03a 0.28 ± 0.02b Sodium acetate, pH 5.6 10.59 ± 0.78 0.29 ± 0.01 MES, pH 5.6 1.25 ± 0.14 0.24 ± 0.01 MES, pH 5.8 1.07 ± 0.11 0.22 ± 0.01 MES, pH 6.0 0.68 ± 0.16 0.19 ± 0.01 Sodium phosphate, pH 5.8 0.87 ± 0.15 0.20 ± 0.01 Sodium phosphate, pH 6.0 0.63 ± 0.20 0.19 ± 0.01 Sodium phosphate, pH 6.2 0.41 ± 0.09 0.17 ± 0.01 Sodium acetate, pH 5.4 3.69 ± 0.51 0.24 ± 0.02 MES, pH 5.6 1.31 ± 0.18 0.26 ± 0.02 Sodium acetate, pH 5.6 7.31 ± 0.77 0.53 ± 0.02 MES, pH 5.4 1.26 ± 0.32 0.48 ± 0.03 MES, pH 5.8 0.84 ± 0.09 0.46 ± 0.01 MES, pH 6.0 0.79 ± 0.09 0.43 ± 0.01 Sodium phosphate, pH 5.8 0.83 ± 0.09 0.49 ± 0.01 3-Methylcatechol Pyrogallol a Data is presented as value of the fit ± error of the fit. b The unit conversion for vmax into IU/mL was carried out as described in the experimental section. 40 8 7 mOD/min at 420 nm 6 5 4 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.4 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.6 MES buffer pH 5.6 3 MES buffer pH 5.8 2 MES buffer pH 6 Sodium phosphate buffer pH 5.8 1 0 0 5 10 15 catechol (mM) 20 25 30 Figure 3.3.1: Dependence of PPO activity on the concentration of the substrate catechol for various buffers: sodium acetate pH 5.4 and 5.6, MES pH 5.6, 5.8, and 6.0, sodium phosphate pH 5.8, 6.0, and 6.2. The fitting parameters are summarized in Table 3. Each data set contains double measurements with controls subtracted. Parameters include 300 µL total assay volume, with 20 µL of mango extract, catechol concentration ranging from 3 to 30 mM. Reference - Table 3. 41 90 80 70 mOD/min at 320 nm 60 50 Sodium phosphate buffer pH 5.8 40 Sodium phosphate buffer pH 5.8 30 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.6 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.4 20 Sodium phosphate buffer pH 6 10 MES buffer pH 5.8 0 0 10 20 pyrogallol (mM) 30 40 Figure 3.3.2: Dependence of PPO activity on the concentration of the substrate pyrogalloll for various buffers: sodium acetate pH 5.4 and 5.6, MES pH 5.8, sodium phosphate pH 5.8, 6.0. The fitting parameters are summarized in Table 3. Each data set contains double measurements with controls subtracted. Parameters include 300 µL total assay volume, with 20 µL of mango extract, catechol concentration ranging from 0.2 to 50 mM. Reference - Table 3. 42 20 18 16 mOD/min at 400 nm 14 12 10 8 6 Sodium acetate buffer pH 5.4 4 MES buffer pH 5.6 2 MES buffer pH 5.4 0 0 20 40 60 3 methyl catechol (mM) 80 100 Figure 3.3.3: Dependence of PPO activity on the concentration of the substrate 3methylcatechol for various buffers: sodium acetate pH 5.4, MES pH 5.4 and 5.6. The fitting parameters are summarized in Table 3. Each data set contains double measurements with controls subtracted. Parameters include 300 µL total assay volume, with 20 µL of mango extract, catechol concentration ranging from 0.1 to 100 mM. Reference - Table 3. 43 3.4 Thermostability of PPO To investigate the temperature stability of PPO, crude Ataulfo extracts were placed for a duration of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes into a water bath set to either 30 °C, 50 °C, or 70 °C. The crude extracts were cooled in an ice water bath and let recover to room temperature before resuming with PPO activity measurements. More than 30 minutes at 70 °C were necessary to reduce the PPO activity by 50%. PPO activity in crude extracts prepared from the skin of the mango variety Kensington also revealed high thermostability [46]. Heating is therefore not a valid treatment to prevent the browning of Ataulfo and Kensington mango cultivars. The other alternative ways used to control enzymatic browning is the use of physical treatments such as freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and high pressure [35]. 35 mOD/min at 420nm 30 25 20 30 °C 15 50 °C 10 70 °C 5 90 °C 0 -5 0 10 20 30 40 50 Incubation time (min) 60 70 Figure 3.4.1: PPO activity of crude Ataulfo extract assayed at different temperatures (30-90 °C) using catechol as substrate. Reference - [46] . 44 3.5 Inhibition of PPO activity in crude extracts of Ataulfo mango Inhibition can act in three ways, i.e., directly on the enzyme, by removing the substrate like oxygen or phenolic compounds, or by changing the product composition. Reducing agents are known for the reduction of disulfide bonds within proteins and peptides. Their mode of action can also inactivate the enzyme activity by removing oxygen present at the active site or by reducing the metal ion cofactors in the active site. Chelating agents are known for removal of metal ions, and acidulants for reducing pH. Compounds with carboxylic acid groups, such as citric acid and malic acid have been shown to inhibit PPO in other fruit [35]. Our screen for PPO inhibitors (see Table 4) also showed that citric acid and to a much lesser extent, benzoic acid are potential agents to prevent enzymatic browning of Ataulfo. This inhibitory effect might simply be due to the lowering of the pH value (acidulating agents) or a metalchelating effect for inhibitors with multiple carboxylic acid groups. According to the data shown in Table 4, the thiol-containing compound betamercaptoethanol and the copper binding ligand azide are highly effective, but also very toxic [47]. It has been shown in previous studies that SH or thiol containing compound are strong inhibitors of enzyme PPO in fruits and vegetables [48]. Sodium metabisulfite is also very effective, but this compound was banned as a food additive by the FDA in 1995 [49]. Commercially available anti-browning mixtures often contain ascorbic and citric acid [50]. Sodium ascorbate was a more effective inhibitor compared to citric acid in their individual application. Synergistic effects were not investigated in this study. Glutathione (another thiol-containing compound) and kojic acid show potential as useful inhibitors. Inhibition of PPO activity was also observed 45 for EDTA, sodium chloride, and benzoic acid albeit at higher concentrations compared to any of the other compound. Effects of various inhibitors on PPO activity are shown below in bar graphs and summarized in Table 4. Table 4: Effect of various inhibitors on PPO activity in crude extracts of Ataulfo Inhibitor 20 mM 2 mM 0.2 mM 0.02 mM β-Mercaptoethanol 0%a 0% 0% 0% Sodium metabisulfite 0% 0% 0% 24% Sodium azide 0% 0% 1% 47% Sodium ascorbate 0% 0% 6% 93% Glutathione 0% 0% 6% 102% Kojic acid 0% 4% 40% 96% Citric acid 0% 53% 88% 101% EDTA 23% 27% 69% 100% Sodium chloride 21% 46% 81% 102% Benzoic acid 44% 101% 103% 97% a 100% relative PPO activity corresponds to reaction rates that are identical to a reference condition without inhibitor. Measurements were performed in duplicate or triplicate with standard deviations ranging from 2% to 16%. 46 4 sodium azide 20 mM 3.5 catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min sodium azide 2 mM 3 2.5 2 sodium azide 0.2 mM sodium azide 0.02 mM 1.5 1 0.5 0 -0.5 sodium azide concentrations Figure 3.5.1: Effect of different concentrations of sodium azide on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 47 catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 7 EDTA 20 mM 6 EDTA 2 mM 5 EDTA 0.2 mM 4 EDTA 0.02 mM 3 2 1 0 -1 EDTA concentrations Figure 3.5.2: Effect of different concentration of EDTA on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 48 6 sodium chloride 20 mM 5 catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min sodium chloride 2 mM 4 sodium chloride 0.2 mM sodium chloride 0.02 mM 3 2 1 0 sodium chloride concentrations Figure 3.5.3: Effect of different concentrations of sodium chloride on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 49 6 glutathione 20 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 5 glutathione 2 mM 4 glutathione 0.2 mM 3 glutathione 0.02 mM 2 1 0 glutathione concentrations Figure 3.5.4: Effect of different concentrations of glutathione on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 50 4 benzoic acid 0.2 mM 3.5 benzoic acid 2 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 3 benzoic acid 0.2 mM 2.5 benzoic acid 0.02 mM 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 benzoic acid concentrations Figure 3.5.5: Effect of differnt concentrations of benzoic acid on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 51 6 kojic acid 20 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 5 kojic acid 2 mM kojic acid 0.2 mM 4 kojic acid 0.02 mM 3 2 1 0 kojic acid concentrations Figure 3.5.6: Effect of different concentrations of kojic acid on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 52 6 citric acid 20 mM 5 citric acid 2 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min citric acid 0.2 mM 4 citric acid 0.02 mM 3 2 1 0 -1 citric acid concentrations Figure 3.5.7: Effect of differnt concentration of citric acid on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 53 7.5 sodium ascorbate 20 mM 6.5 sodium ascorbate 2 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 5.5 sodium ascorbate 0.2 mM 4.5 sodium ascorbate 0.02 mM 3.5 2.5 1.5 0.5 -0.5 sodium ascorbate concentrations Figure 3.5.8: Effect of different concentrations of sodium ascorbate on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 54 3 sodium metabisulfite 20 mM 2.5 sodium metabisulfite 2 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 2 sodium metabisulfite 0.2 mM 1.5 sodium metabisulfite 0.02 mM 1 0.5 0 -0.5 -1 sodium metabisulfite concentrations Figure 3.5.9: Effect of differnet concentrations of sodium metabisulfite on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 55 2 beta-mercaptoethanol 20 mM catechol oxidase activity mOD @ 420 nm/min 1.5 beta-mercaptoethanol 2 mM beta-mercaptoethanol 0.2 mM 1 beta-mercaptoethanol 0.02 mM 0.5 0 -0.5 -1 beta-mercaptoethanol concentrations Figure 3.5.10: Effect of different concentrations of beta-mercaptoethanol on (PPO) activity. Polyphenol oxidase activity assays were conducted with 20 µL mango extract, in a final assay volume of 300 µL with 60 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 5.8, 30 mM catechol, and different concentrations of the inhibitor at 25 °C. All measurements were performed in triplicate or duplicate. Error bars represent standard deviations. Reference - Table 4. 56 3.6 Phenolic Content determination The total phenol content in Ataulfo mango was determined via a FolinCiocalteu assay using gallic acid as a standard [17]. One gram of fresh mango pulp contained 0.273 mg gallic acid equivalents. A small piece of mango pulp (0.63 g) was frozen in liquid nitrogen and homogenized on ice with 95% v/v aqueous methanol. The sample was stored for 48 hours in the dark, before starting the Folin Ciocalteu assay. Absorbance at 765 nm 0.8 0.7 y = 0.7592x R² = 0.9936 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0 0.25 0.5 gallic acid (mM) 0.75 1 Figure 3.6.1: Gallic Acid Standard Curve. Reference - [17]. A standard curve was prepared with a dilution series of gallic acid in 95 % v/v methanol. The Folin-Ciocalteu assay mixtures contained 100 µL standard or sample, 200 µL of 1:10 diluted commercially available Folin Ciocalteu reagent (Fisher Scientific), and 800 µL 0.70 M sodium carbonate. After 2 hours of incubation, the 57 samples were centrifuged and 200 µL supernatant were pipetted into a micro-plate for absorbance measurements at 765 nm. Gallic acid has been listed as the main phenolic compound in mango fruit [51]. According to recent studies on mango fruit, it has been demonstrated that chlorogenic acid levels can exceed gallic acid levels as the fruit ripens [52]. For ripeness stage RS4 chlorogenic acid content was 301 mg, gallic acid 98.7 mg, vanillic acid 24.4 mg, and protocatechuic acid 1.1 mg per 100g dry weight of Ataulfo [2, 52]. Mango pulp is known to be acidic with pH values at or below pH 4 [53, 54]. The major organic acids present in the pulp of mangoes are citric acid and malic acid [55]. At such low pH values, gallic acid and protocatechuic acid are very poor substrates for PPO. Also, as long as the cell organelles are still intact, most of the phenolic compounds will be enclosed in a vacuole separate from the sub-cellular location of PPO [56]. PPO initiated browning with internal substrates such as gallic acid will only start to matter as the integrity of cellular compartments is destroyed, oxygen is available, and the local pH is not too acidic. 58 3.7 Dependence of PPO activity on the maturity in the skin versus the pulp of Ataulfo mango We separated skin and pulp of our mango samples from the Ataulfo variety as shown in Figure 3.7.1 & 3.7.2. All samples (see Table 5) showed higher PPO activity per gram skin than per gram pulp. These differences ranged from 5-fold to 25-fold. Sample R1 was an exception with only a 2-fold difference between the PPO activities of pulp and skin. This sample from the most green and unripe Ataulfo also showed the lowest protein content for pulp and skin Figure 3.7.6 and the sample R1-pulp exhibited a surprisingly high activity of 0.60 ± 0.05 IU/g. All other samples tend to show an increase in activity with maturation as shown in Figure 3.7.3 and 3.7.4. The most overripe Ataulfo (R6) clearly displayed the highest PPO activities in pulp and skin. In agreement with our observations, studies on Kensington variety of mango also obseved a significant difference in PPO activity for skin and pulp samples of a ripe mango with 25-fold higher activity for the skin compared to the pulp sample [42]. No PPO activity was detected in the pulp of unripe Kensington. The skin of unripe Kensington displayed 2.5-fold reduced activity compared to the ripe Kensington skin sample [35]. As fruit ripen and soften, several biochemical processes change [57]. It is not uncommon for fruit to show higher activity for specific enzymes in more mature stages. For example the activity of the enzyme β-galactosidase increases during the ripening of mango [58]. Antioxidant capacity, quantity of phenolic compounds, and respiration were also shown to increase during the first three stages of Ataulfo maturation followed by a slight decrease in the later stages of ripeness [29]. Many researchers observed that PPO activity can be enhanced by adding the anionic detergent SDS. The degree of SDS activation varies greatly with plant 59 material and experimental conditions. In a study review, a range of 4-fold to 119-fold increase in PPO activity has been shown upon SDS addition [35]. It is conceivable that PPO is present in latent form with a regulatory domain blocking the catalytic site of PPO, which becomes more accessible after SDS addition, acidification, or proteolytic treatment [35]. Notably, our data in Table 5 showed much higher SDS activation for pulp compared to skin samples. In fact, with an addition of 1% w/v SDS, most pulp samples approach or exceed the activity values of skin samples at the same ripeness stage as shown in (Figure 3.7.5). We tentatively suggest a difference in latency for PPO in the pulp versus the skin of Ataulfo. 60 Table 5: PPO activity and protein content in dependence of ripeness stage of pulp and skin Ataulfo samples Sample Ripeness Stage Protein PPO activity PPO activity SDS content (IU/g)a with 1% (mg/g)a Pulp Skin enhancement SDS (IU/g)a R1 2.8 ± 0.7 0.60 ± 0.05 8.99 ± 0.82 15 R2 10.6 ± 0.4 0.22 ± 0.06 8.00 ± 2.34 36 R3 20.6 ± 4.5 0.19 ± 0.05 11.06 ± 1.03 58 R4 21.4 ± 1.8 0.56 ± 0.13 13.01 ± 2.66 23 R5 10.7 ± 1.3 0.85 ± 0.20 20.74 ± 5.98 24 R6 16.7 ± 2.6 2.70 ± 1.71 20.65 ± 4.27 8 R1 3.1 ± 0.3 1.12 ± 0.16 5.25 ± 0.49 5 R2 9.2 ± 0.9 3.49 ± 0.96 12.62 ± 3.64 4 R3 9.4 ± 0.7 4.71 ± 0.53 10.69 ± 0.70 2 R4 13.2 ± 0.3 8.26 ± 1.91 12.63 ± 1.76 2 R5 11.5 ± 0.6 7.23 ± 0.97 20.45 ± 2.05 3 R6 7.7 ± 0.9 14.78 ± 1.24 67.90 ± 5 14.77 a Protein content and PPO activity are reported per gram mango (skin or pulp). All measurements were performed in triplicate. Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation. 61 Figure 3.7.1: Mango pulp extracts at different ripeness stages Figure 3.7.2: Mango skin extracts at different ripeness stages PPO activity in IU/g 62 5.00 4.50 4.00 3.50 3.00 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 green pulp 1 green pulp 2 yellow pulp1 yellow pulp2 brown pulp1 brown pulp 2 Ripeness stage of mango pulp Figure 3.7.3: PPO activity of all ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango pulp. PPO activity is reported per gram mango pulp. All measurements were performed in triplicate at 25 °C. In a total vol of 300 µL of activity assay, 190 µL of 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 6.8, 30 mM catechol, 20 µL of each type of extract were added. Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation. Reference - Table 5. 18.00 PPO activity in IU/g 16.00 14.00 green skin 1 12.00 grren skin 2 10.00 yellow skin 1 8.00 yellow skin 2 6.00 brown skin 1 4.00 brown skin 2 2.00 0.00 Ripeness stage of mango skin Figure 3.7.4: PPO activity of all ripeness stages of Ataulfo mango skin. PPO activity is reported per gram mango skin. All measurements were performed in triplicate at 25 °C. In a total vol of 300 µL of activity assay, 190 µL of 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 6.8, 30 mM catechol, 20 µL of each type of extract were added. Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation. Reference - Table 5. 63 PPO activity with 1% SDS (IU/g) 30.00 25.00 green pulp 1 20.00 green pulp 2 yellow pulp 1 15.00 yellow pulp 2 10.00 brown pulp 1 brown pulp 2 5.00 0.00 Ripeness stage of mango pulp PPO activity with 1 % SDS (IU/g) 90.00 80.00 70.00 green skin 1 60.00 green skin 2 50.00 yellow skin 1 40.00 yellow skin 2 30.00 brown skin 1 20.00 brown skin 2 10.00 0.00 Ripeness stage of mango skin Figure 3.7.5: 1% SDS (activator) effect on PPO activity of Ataulfo mango pulp (top) and skin (bottom). 1% w/v SDS corresponds to adding 30 µL of 10 % w/v SDS into an assay of 300 µL total volume. In addition to 1% SDS, 175 µL of 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 6.8, 30 mM catechol, and 5 µL of extract were added in the 300 uL total volume assay. Reference - Table 5. 64 Protein content of mango (mg/g) 30.00 25.00 green pulp 1 20.00 green pulp 2 yellow pulp 1 15.00 yellow pulp 2 10.00 brown pulp 1 brown pulp 2 5.00 0.00 Ripeness state of mango pulp Protein content of mango (mg/g) 16.00 14.00 12.00 green skin 1 10.00 green skin 2 8.00 yellow skin 1 6.00 yellow skin 2 brown skin 1 4.00 brown skin 2 2.00 0.00 Ripeness stage of mango skin Figure 3.7.6: Protein content (mg/g) in mango pulp (top) and skin (bottom). PPO protein content are reported per gram mango (pulp or skin). In a total vol of 300 µL of activity assay, 190 µL of 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 6.8, 30 mM catechol, 20 µL of each type of extract were added. All measurements were performed in triplicate. Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation. Reference - Table 5. 65 3.8 Apparent molecular weight of bands with PPO activity in partially denaturing SDS-PAGE SDS-PAGE gels stained for PPO activity with the substrate catechol are presented in Figure 3.8.1 and 3.8.2. With the exception of R1, all pulp and skin samples show a band with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 53 kDa. Sample R1-pulp which exhibited an unusually high PPO activity value for a pulp sample of an unripe, green mango, displayed a band at approximately 144 kDa that is also found in all skin samples. The two brown pulp samples (R5 and R6) also show a band located at 112 kDa. Less prominently stained bands are located at 23 kDa (R2pulp) and 72 kDa (R5-pulp). Multiple forms of PPO differing in their electrophoretic mobility have been observed in a large variety of plants with molecular weights ranging from 32 kDa to over 200 kDa, with most molecular weights between 35 kDa and 70 kDa [35]. Possible reasons for this multiplicity are the attachment of phenolic oxidation products or carbohydrates, proteolysis, conformational changes, oligomerization, and finally the presence of distinctly different genes. Information on PPO genes from mango is limited to the deposition of one partial mRNA coding sequence from Mangifera indica, Linn (GenBank: GU266283.1). Mango belongs to the subclass Rosidae (malvids). Within this subclass four full-length mRNA coding sequences are available yielding calculated molecular weights of 68.5 kDa for the Canarium album cultivar Huiyuan (GenBank: JQ319005.1), 67.2 kDa for Gossypium hirsutum (GenBank: JQ345705.1), 69.5 kDa for Gossypium hirsutum clone ZS1 (GenBank: JX966316.1), and 66.2 kDa for Citrus clementine (NCBI Reference Sequence: XM_006449228.1). Since the samples applied to the SDS-PAGE gels in Figure 3.8.1 and 3.8.2 are only partially denatured the band positions indicate only 66 apparent molecular weights. It is conceivable that the bands located at 53 kDa or 72 kDa represent the main PPO isoform either with or without a proteolytic cut. Research has demonstrated that PPO from coffee and broad bean leaves can undergo proteolysis without loss of catalytic capacity as the apparent molecular weight is reduced from 67 kDa to 45 kDa or 60 kDa to 42 kDa, respectively [46, 59]. The bands located at higher molecular weights of 112 kDa and 144 kDa might represent dimeric forms, but the presence of artifacts due to attachment of polyphenol oxidation products cannot be ruled out. The higher molecular weight bands were only apparent in samples with PPO activity values above 0.60 ± 0.05 IU per gram mango. The higher the intrinsic activity is, the more likely the attachment of polyphenol oxidation products. Further work on purified PPO from Ataulfo and a full nucleotide sequence determination will be necessary to clarify the origin of the multiple PPO forms. 67 Figure 3.8.1: Partially denaturing 4-20% Tris-glycine SDS-PAGE gels stained for PPO activity. Ataulfo pulp samples with increasing ripeness (stages R1-R6) were loaded into the lanes 2 to 7. Lanes 1 and 8 contain the pre-stained protein standard SeeBlue from Life Technologies. Reference - Table 1. 68 Figure 3.8.2: Partially denaturing 4-20% Tris-glycine SDS-PAGE gels stained for PPO activity. Ataulfo skin samples with increasing ripeness (stages R1-R6) were loaded into the lanes 2 to 7. Lanes 1 and 8 contain the pre-stained protein standard SeeBlue from Life Technologies. Reference - Table 1. 69 Conclusions PPO activity in crude extracts of Ataulfo mango was observed for di- and triphenolic substrates with pH optima between pH 5.4 and pH 6.4. The enzyme was fairly thermo-stable, but can be inhibited effectively with sodium ascorbate in millimolar concentrations. Ascorbic acid is listed as a GRAS compound by the FDA. GRAS stands for “Generally Recognized As Safe”. To supress browning of mango, ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate could be suitable inhibitors. These chemical agents are administrated by chemical treatments for example coating of fruits [60]. These treatments are needed to allow the diffusion of chemical agents for the prevention of enzymatic browning. Ascorbic acid is also used as a chemical preservative in foods and as a nutrient and/or dietary supplement [61]. Coating formulations containing carnauba wax, shellac, zein, and cellulose derivatives were also identified to increase the lifespan of mango [65]. Many foods consumed today are either genetically modified (GM), or derived from gene modification technology. This technology has the potential to extend the lifespan of mango, papaya, and bananas as well as tomato [62]. Enhancement of tomato shelf life is possible by suppressing N-glycan processing enzymes, similarly enhancement of mango shelf life is possible by suppressing polyphenol oxidase, galactosidase and hexosaminidase enzymes [63, 64]. Despite the benefits of genetic engineering of foods, the technology is surrounded by controversy including fears of alteration in nutritional quality of foods, potential toxicity, allergenicity and carcinogenicity [62]. PPO activity as well as PPO isoform distribution depended on ripeness stage and part of the fruit. The highest PPO activity was found in skin samples of very over- 70 ripe Ataulfo. Samples with high PPO activity displayed at least two PPO isoforms (53 kDa and 112 kDa or 144 kDa), whereas samples with low PPO activity showed only one major band at 53 kDa in partially denaturing SDS-PAGE gels stained for catecholase activity. 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