: an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of alliin to allicin in plants of the genus Allium (such as garlic and onion)
But as soon as you crush or cut a clove of garlic, an enzyme called alliinase is released, converting alliin into allicin.—Judy Foreman, Boston Globe, 19 Feb. 1996
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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