The polyphenolic substances in leaves and roots of eighteen species of Chrysanthemum plants, such as burdock (
Arctum Lappa), coltsfoot (
Petasites japonica), dandelion (
Taraxacum platycarpum), mugwort (
Artemisia vulgaris), and sunflower (
Helianthus annuus) etc. were detected by two-dimensional paper chromatography. The polyphenolics of these plants consisted of many isomers of chlorogenic acid with no flavanol copmpound. The chlorogenic isomers can be classified either monocaffeyl or dicaffeyl group from the position of its spot on the chromatogram. Fresh edible burdock, which produced the intense darkening, contained about 0.78% of polyphenolics composed of caffeic, chlorogenic, and isochlorogenic acid and many other isomers. The optimum pH for polyphenol oxidase was 6.0-6.3 and the enzyme was rapidly and inreversively inactivated in the acid side from optimum pH. The optimum pH of peroxidase of burdock was pH 5, and its thermostability was weaker than that of polyphenol oxidases. (Received November 22, 1967)
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