AMADH inhibitor optimization and its effects on GABA accumulation in soybean sprouts under NaCl-CaCl2 treatment

1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) was the suitable inhibitor for aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase (AMADH) compared with N-ethylmaleimide (NEE) and iodoacetamide (IAM). EDC exhibited the most obvious inhibition effect on AMADH activity, while its inhibition on glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) was insignificant. Compared with the control, AMADH activity reduced by 70.4% with 0.5mM EDC, and -aminobutyric acid (GABA) content declined by 44.3% in soybean sprouts at 4days of germination. AMADH activity reduced by 80.62, 67.61 and 72.02% in the 4-day sprouts with 1mM EDC under NaCl, CaCl2 and NaCl+CaCl2 treatment, respectively, and GABA content decreased by 43.56, 38.84 and 35.53%, respectively. EDC is a proper inhibitor for AMADH and it could be used to quantify the contribution of polyamine degradation pathway on GABA formation. In soybean sprouts, the presence of CaCl2 under NaCl stress decreased the contribution of polyamine degradation pathway on GABA accumulation.