The effects of pH on glucosinolate degradation by a thioglucoside glucohydrolase preparation

An active thioglucoside glucohydrolase extract was prepared from commercial mustard powder and its effect on the degradation of two pure glucosinolates was investigated. During reaction in a distilled water medium the pH of the solution decreased markedly and the ratio of products (isothiocyanate and nitrile) varied considerably. After 20–30 min, when the pH had fallen to ca 5.6, isothiocyanate production ceased whilst nitrile continued to be produced and in amounts which increased linearly with time for at least 40 min. This behaviour can be correlated with the changing pH of the medium. In controlled pH experiments it was confirmed that nitrile formation is favoured at lower pH levels and that the ratio of nitrile to isothiocyanate is directly related to the hydrogen ion concentration of the medium. No reason could therefore be found for the observed formation of nitrile in some natural systems at pHs greater than 7.