Enzymatic Dimethylamine and Formaldehyde Production in Minced American Plaice and Blackback Flounder Mixed with a Red Hake TMAO‐ase Active Fraction

Abstract

ABSTRACT A dialyzed high molecular weight (> 100,000) TMAO‐ase active fraction from red hake muscle produced dimethylamine (DMA) in‐vitro, activated by cysteine and Fe ++ or by methylene blue and ascorbic acid. Minced blackback flounder and American plaice were induced to produce DMA and formaldehyde (FA) when mixed with the high molecular weight fraction from red hake. A low molecular weight (<100,000) fraction did not produce DMA either in‐vitro or in‐vivo. Heating the high molecular weight fraction 10 min at 100°C destroyed all TMAO‐ase activity. The reported results lend support to the theory that DMA and FA production in red hake is caused by an endogenous enzyme, associated with the particulate fraction in muscle tissue.