Assessment of Peroxidase Activity and its Characterization in Local Bean Varieties from Ghana

Abstract

The present study assesses the peroxidase activity and its characterization in local bean varieties from Ghana. The presence of peroxidase enzyme in four locally grown bean varieties, Red beans, Bambara beans, Black-eyed beans and Soybeans was demonstrated.  The enzyme showed a much higher activity at elevated temperatures than at room temperature with peak activity at about 50°C. The crude enzyme extract from Bambara beans displayed the highest affinity towards hydrogen peroxide substrate making it a good candidate for applications that require high initial reaction rates. The optimum pH for the enzyme from all bean extracts is about 6 but the extract from Bambara beans was shown to maintain its activity over a wider range of pHs than the rest. Such stability will make peroxidase from Bambara beans a useful enzyme for applications at higher pH as may be found in certain wastewaters.