Studies on the Catabolic Pathway of Protocatechuic Acid in Mung Bean Seedlings

Degradation of protocatechuic acid in the hypocotyls of mung bean seedlings was studied to elucidate the pathway and intermediates involved. The results indicate that protocatechuic acid is oxidatively degraded by the following route: protocatechuic acid-β-carboxy-cis, cis-muconic acid-β-carboxymuconolactone-β-ketoadipic acid-CO2. It was found that some of the intermediates such as β-carboxy-cis, cis-muconic acid, β-carboxymuconolactone and β-ketoadipic acid had been formed in the reaction mixture.