What phenolic inhibitor should I use?
Phenolics bind to proteins through hydrogen bonds immediately after plant cells are lysed. Thus it is important to use phenolic inhibitors; the two most common being PVPP and PVP. PVPP is the most widely used and is a generic phenolic inhibitor. It binds to phenolics through hydroxyl groups, but can also bind to hydroxyls on proteins resulting in protein loss. It is an insoluble material, like agarose, and takes hours (up to 24) to dissolve into solution. Recommended concentration is 1.5% w/v. PVP is a soluble substance and can be found in a variety of molecular weights. Smaller molecular weights can bind to proteins, so it is recommended to start with 2-4% 40KD PVP. Depending on the specific phenolics in the plant tissue, the molecular weight of PVP will need to be optimized. Different molecular weights bind certain phenolics better than others, so PVP does not bind all phenolics universally.
