MELANOIDIN AS A NOVEL TRYPSIN-INHIBITOR

Melanoidin, which was obtained by the Maillard reaction between D-gluc ose and glycine, was found to exert a potent inhibitory effect on the activity of trypsin with BANA as a synthetic substrate. The concentrat ion of melanoidin required to reduce the activity of trypsin by 50% wa s less than 1 mu g/ml, similar to that of soybean trypsin inhibitor an d leupeptin. On the other hand, chymotrypsin was not affected by melan oidin. The specific interaction between melanoidin and trypsin is disc ussed.