Flavor formation in tissue cultures of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Differentiated and undifferentiated cultures of garlic (Allium sativum L.) were analyzed for the study of flavor formation in cultures. Attempts were made to correlate alliin content with free and bound amino acid contents and with enzymes like phenylanine ammonialyase (E.C. 4.1.1.5) and alliin-lyase (E.C.4.4.1.4) which play important roles in formation of the flavor percursor alliin.It was observed that in differentiating cultures showing shoot formation, there is an increase in alliin content as well as in free and bound amino acid contents. Corresponding to this there was also an increase in the activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase in differentiating cultures. Alliin-lyase activity was found to be significantly different in differentiating and undifferentiated cultures. The significance of these results is discussed.