ASSESSMENT OF SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CATALASE, AND PEROXIDASE ACTIVITIES IN ASPERGILLUS SP. AND CLADOSPORIUM SP.

Abstract

Antioxidative enzymes are a family of powerful free radical scavenging proteins, naturally synthesized by all aerobic organisms. Family of antioxidant enzymes include superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (PRX), thioredoxins /thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), and glutaredoxins/glutathione reductase (GPx). These oxidative enzymatic machineries, sequentially sequester singlet oxygen (O2 −) and Hydrogen Peroxide, which are the well-known reactive oxygen species. These enzymes can be intracellular as well as extracellular. In the present study, two most common soil fungi namely, Aspergillus Sp. and Cladosporium Sp. were cultivated by submerged cultivation on Potato dextrose broth and pellets were separated by filtration. Pellets were disrupted by detergent lysis method (0.5% Triton X 100, 1% CTAB, 1.5% Tween 80, 5% SDS). Culture media and cellular extracts were analyzed for intracellular and extracellular total proteins and their panel of antioxidative enzymes. Enzyme activity of SOD was carried out by Beauchamp and Fridovich method. Catalase and Peroxidase activities were determined by simple spectrophotometric method. In Aspergillus Sp.1.33 U of superoxide dismutase, 0.115 U catalase, 0.00097 U peroxidase activities per mg of protein was observed. Similarly, in Cladosporium Sp. 1.38 U Superoxide dismutase, 0.1460 U catalase, and 0.00150 U peroxidase activities per mg protein was recorded. Significant amount of antioxidative enzyme activity observed in both the test cultures. And comparatively, Cladosporium Sp has given promising results. Probably, with altered culture conditions and improved extraction procedures, still higher amounts of antioxidative enzymes would be expected.