The administrative propanthial s-oxide volatile compound is the cause of tearing.(Photo: Vix.)
Propanthial s-oxide is a volatile chemical. When we cut, propanthial s-oxide will quickly evaporate and find its way to the eye. This substance quickly combines with water covering the surface of the eye to form sulphenic acid - a substance that stimulates the lacrimal glands. The brain quickly receives a warning that there is a stimulant and it signals down the tear glands that make you blink and tear. The amount of acidic acid produced is so small that it does not harm but only irritates the eyes.
In order to produce a compound that causes watery eyes to propanthial s-oxide, onion plants require two enzymes.
First, the onion plants absorb sulfur in the soil and store it in the compound PRENCSO 1 (1-propenyl-L-cysteine sulphoxide). When cut, the onions release allicinase, which reacts with PRENCSO 1 to produce ammonia and 1-propenyl sulfenic acid. The second enzyme converts 1-propenyl sulfenic acid to propanthial s-oxide.
The ability to make onion's tears depends on the sulfur that plants absorb in the soil. High or low sulfur levels depend on the type of soil and the condition of the growing tree.
Garlic and onions have close relatives, but the garlic does not cause tearing because it contains another compound called allii or PRENCSO 2. This compound produces allici, a substance that is beneficial to human health, not broken structure into propanthial s-oxide.
Simple tips to help cut onions without tears