Abstract
THAT the catalytic agency responsible for vitamin C oxidation in plant extracts is a specific copper-protein enzyme has been shown by several workers1. There is, however, disagreement as to whether the oxidase activity is exerted by this complex, or by the ionized copper from it. Active preparations of artificial oxidases, with ionic copper as the responsible constituent, have been reported2. On the other hand, purified preparations of the enzyme have been found to oxidize ascorbic acid many times faster than an equivalent quantity of cupric ion3.
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References
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SKEENIVASAN, A., WANDREKAR, S. Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid by Plant Extracts. Nature 165, 318–319 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/165318b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/165318b0
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