ABSTRACT
Lipoxygenase (LOX) (E.C. 1.13.11.12) catalyzes the incorporation of oxygen into the moiety of cis, cis-1,4 pentadiene in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid to form the hydroperoxide derivatives at a specific position (Fig. 1). It is widely distributed in the plant kingdom (1), such as in peas (2), soybean (3), broad bean (4), in the germs of corn (5), rice (6), and in fruits such as tomato (7) and cucumber (8). The LOX isozymes in plants play impor tant roles in wound healing, disease resistance (1), and flavor biogenesis (7).
