Wheat ascorbic acid oxidase

The ascorbic acid is oxidized by ascorbic acid oxidase in the flour dough to dehydroascorbic acid. In turn, the reduction of dehydroascorbic acid is coupled with the oxidation of protein thiol groups by the enzyme dehydroascorbic acid reductase known to be in wheat (133). 

An ascorbic acid oxidase (AO) occurs in wheat flour (Table 15.25), which oxidizes L-threo- and D-erythro-2iSCOYhic acid at comparable rates. In addition, a substance has been found in flour extracts which oxidizes L- /ir 6>-ascorbic acid at pH 10 at a maximal rate. In comparison with AO, this activity does not decrease on incubation with proteases nor is it inhibited by the addition of the AO inhibitors KCN and NaF. It obviously catalyzes a nonenzymatic oxidation of ascorbic acid. 

Table 15.25. Activity of ascorbic acid oxidase (AO) in wheat flour...

Further evidence of like character in support of the participation of coenzyme I in reactions associated with the reduction of dehydroascorbic acid has been advanced by Waygood (1950). Cell-free extracts of wheat seedlings were found to contain a malic dehydrogenase enzyme, reducing coenzyme I, as well as ascorbic oxidase and peroxidase enzymes. When to such extracts malic acid, coenzyme I, and ascorbic acid were added, together with a fixative for the oxalacetate formed in the reaction, the system absorbed oxygen in excess of that required for the complete oxidation of ascorbic acid. In this system methylene blue could replace ascorbic acid. 

---