High Benzoic Acid Production in a Grape-Based Ayurvedic Medicinal Wine (ASAVA)

Abstract

Fermentative production of benzoic acid is seldom reported and the present report serendipitously expressed it, though in small quantity (~30 mg/l). Lipoxygenases (LOXs) catalyse the stereo-specific insertion of molecular oxygen into arachidonic acid, leading to hydroxy derivatives as end products. Ser-endipitously found LOX inhibitor was benzoic acid, produced in Ayurvedic-fermented medicated wine, pippalyasava. The present study reports the signifi-cance of the polyphenol derivatives in a traditional Ayurvedic therapeutic preparation where LOX inhibi-tion might have a role, besides its importance in fermented benzoic acid production.