The ability of fruit and vegetable enzyme system to hydrolyse ester bonds

Abstract

The pulp of potato tubers (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i>), topinambur (<i>Helianthus tuberosus</i>) and apples (<i>Malus silvestris</i>) can hydrolyse totally, or almost totally, ester bonds in phenyl, α- and β-naphthyl, benzyl and cinnamyl acetates. In methyl 4-acetoxy-3-metoxybenzoate and methyl 2,5-diacetoxybenzoate as well as testosterone propionate and 16,17-acetonide of 21-acetoxy-6-fluoro-16α,17β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3,20-dione, the hydrolysis is selective towards the substrate and the bioreagent. In contrast, ethyl benzoate and cinnamate are resistant to hydrolysis.