The sensitivity of several selected enzymes, e.g. Bacillus subtilis cc
-amylase (BSA), peroxidase (POD), pectinmethylesterase (PME), polyphen
oloxidase (PPO) and lipoxygenase (LOX) towards the combined action of
high pressure (1 up to 4000 bar) and low temperature(-22 degrees C up
to 0 degrees C) was investigated. The effect of a high pressure/low te
mperature (HP/LT) treatment on the selected enzymes was compared to th
e effect of a freezing process at atmospheric pressure. It was found t
hat (i) no irreversible inactivation of POD, PPO and BSA occurred afte
r the HP/LT treatments tested, (ii) PME was only slightly irreversibly
inactivated in the selected pressure and temperature domain (92% up t
o 80% of activity retention) and (iii) LOX was irreversibly inactivate
d to a large extent (3 up to 55% of activity retention) after the sele
cted HP/LT treatments whereas a classical freezing at -18 degrees C an
d atmospheric pressure caused only a 10% decrease in LOX activity. It
could be observed that the enzymic activity after the treatment of bot
h PME and LOX slightly decreased during storage in an ice bath.