Lipase Activity in Black Pepper

Abstract

CULINARY spices have been used through the ages for their flavour appeal and stabilizing effects in foodstuffs¹, but only recently has their effectiveness as antioxidants in edible fats been clearly demonstrated^2,3. Spices, particularly black pepper, are notorious for their high microbial content^4,5 and appropriate techniques¹ have been developed by spice processors to overcome this problem of potential food spoilage. The lipolytic activity of spices has received little scientific attention and it was therefore of interest to obtain some quantitative information on five spices used extensively in the baking industry. Table 1 illustrates lipolytic activity observed in samples of commercially available material.