PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PEROXIDASE FROM SWEET GOURD (CUCURBITA MOSCHATA LAM. POIRET)

Peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7; donor: hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase) is an oxidoreductase enzyme found in many fruits and vegetables. This enzyme was purified from sweet gourd (Cucurbita moschata Lam. Poiret) by ammonium sulphate precipitation and CM-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography. Furthermore, optimum pH, optimum temperature, optimum ionic strength, stable pH, and stable temperature conditions were determined as 7.2, 50 degrees C, 0.4 M, 8.0, and 40 degrees C, respectively. The molecular weight (M-W) of the enzyme was estimated to be 85 kDa by SDS-PAGE method. The values of K-m and V-max were calculated from the Lineweaver-Burk graph for guaiacol/H2O2 substrate patterns.