METHOD FOR PRODUCING ISOTHIOCYANATE FROM CRUCIFEROUS PLANT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for stably producing isothiocyanates free from any pungency component from naturally occurring cruciferous plant(s) such as Wasabi, horseradish and watercress (scientific name: Roripa nasturtium- aquaticum) at high yield. SOLUTION: The pungency component-free isothiocyanates are obtained by the following processes: cruciferous plant(s), i.e., ground Wasabi and/or horseradish, is held at -3 to 50 deg.C for a time enough to cause enzymic reaction to form isothiocyanates including allyl isothiocyanate as a pungency component, and the isothiocyanates are then put to drying, distillation and/or extraction steps to remove the allyl isothiocyanate off the above isothiocyanates. Alternatively, sufficient amounts of the pungency component-free isothiocyanates are obtained by holding a cruciferous plant, i.e., ground watercress, at -3 to 50 deg.C for a time enough to cause enzymic reaction.