DEGRADATION OF VITAMIN-E, VITAMIN-C, AND LUTEIN IN SOYBEAN HOMOGENATE- A COMPARISON OF NORMAL SOYBEAN AND LIPOXYGENASE-LACKING (TRIPLE-NULL) SOYBEAN

The degradation of antioxidative compounds such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and lutein in aqueous homogenate prepared from normal soybean seeds (L-123) or Lipoxygenase-lacking soybean seeds (triple-null mutant, L- 0) was investigated. In the normal soybean, these natural antioxidants decreased rapidly after homogenization. On the contrary, in the L-0 s oybean, vitamin E was hardly degraded, and vitamin C and lutein were s lowly degraded in comparison with normal soybean. The radical [1,1-dip henyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)] scavenging activity of each soybean was determined using an ESR spectrometer, and it was shown that the scave nging activity of normal soybean was weakened after homogenization wit h water, whereas this reduction was not observed in L-0 soybean. These results suggested that lipoxygenase-lacking soybean could become a su perior food ingredient which improves not only the flavor of soybean p roducts but also its nutritional quality and functionality.