STUDY OF ACTIVITY OF CATALASE ENZYME IN VARIOUS FRUITS

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) plays an important role in fruit growth and its preservation. But too much hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) can be harmful to fruit cells. According to previous studies, the fruits contain an enzyme called catalase which converts the extra H₂O₂ into water and oxygen (O₂). Therefore, an experiment conducted to find the presence or absence of catalase enzyme in various fruits as well as the activity of catalase was compared among the different fruits; including Apple, banana, pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, dragon fruit, kiwi and papaya. When an additional hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) (6% concentration) was added to the test tube containing the fruit sample, O₂ bubbles were found in the test tube, which showed that the catalase enzyme in the fruit pieces decomposed the excess hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the test tube, resulting in the release of water (H₂O) and oxygen (O₂).  The According to the present study, the highest amount of catalase enzyme was found in a banana while the lowest was found in watermelon.