The formation of both peroxidase and phenol oxidase was induced by culturing slices of Jerusalem artichoke tubers under aerobic conditions at 30 °C. The rate of enzyme degradation in the tuber slices was measured after applying cycloheximide, a strong inhibitor of protein synthesis, or by culturing the tissues under anaerobic conditions. Peroxidase decayed according to a first order process with a half-life of 8.3 h while phenol oxidase was found to be more stable (half-life about 70 h). The increase in the level of enzymes after the slicing treatment was achieved through a stimulation of the rate of enzyme synthesis rather than a decrease in the rate of destruction.