Abstract
Crude extract of kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea gongylodes) was prepared by a simple procedure and its enzymatic activity and total protein concentration were determined. It was found that this crude extract is a rich source of peroxidase (POx) and has high specific activity. Cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone was used as a stabilizer in the preparation of the crude extract. The POx activity of kohlrabi crude extract did not vary for at least 2 months when deoxygenated and stored at 4°C. This extract was applied for the spectrofluorometric determination of hydrogen peroxide using homovanillic acid as a fluorogenic substrate. POx catalyzes the hydrogen peroxide oxidation of homovanillic acid to produce a dimer which shows strong fluorescence at 420 nm with excitation at 312 nm. In the optimum conditions, the calibration graph for hydrogen peroxide was linear up to 190 ng mL-1, with a detection limit of 4.4 ng mL-1. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.48% for 50 ng mL-1 hydrogen peroxide. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of hydrogen peroxide in honey. The concentration-time profile of H2O2 produced upon dilution of honey was studied and H2O2 contents of some different honeys from various areas of Iran were determined.
