Abstract
Peroxidase from date palm (
Phoenix dactylifera
L.) leaves was purified to homogeneity and characterized biochemically. The enzyme purification included homogenization, extraction of pigments followed by consecutive chromatographies on DEAE-Sepharose and Superdex 200. The purification factor for purified date palm peroxidase was 17 with 5.8% yield. The purity was checked by SDS and native PAGE, which showed a single prominent band. The molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 55 kDa as estimated by SDS–PAGE. The enzyme was characterized for thermal and pH stability, and kinetic parameters were determined using guaiacol as substrate. The optimum activity was between pH 5–6. The enzyme showed maximum activity at 55 °C and was fairly stable up to 75 °C, with 42% loss of activity. Date palm leaves peroxidase showed
K
m
values of 0.77 and 0.045 mM for guaiacol and H
2
O
2
, respectively. These properties suggest that this enzyme could be a promising tool for applications in different analytical determinations as well as for treatment of industrial effluents at low cost.