The coupled oxidation of chlorophyll a with linoleic acid catalysed by lipoxidase

Abstract
Chlorophyll a was bleached in a model system composed of pigment, linoleic acid and lipoxidase. The rate of chlorophyll bleaching was a function of its concentration. The maximum rate with respect to linoleic acid occurred at the critical micelle concentration. Chlorophyll inhibited diene conjugation through a steric protection of the fatty acid. The active component in crude soya bean extracts which catalysed pigment bleaching was lipoxidase and the mechanism involved a coupled oxidation with the linoleic acid.