Quantitative and qualitative aspects of peroxidases extracted from cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica

Peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7) were extracted from fresh cladodes harvested from nine ecotypes of the cactus species Opuntia ficus indica Mill. growing as a collection, in Marrakech (South Morocco). Two enzyme fractions were obtained by a progressive solubility method leading to soluble peroxidases (S) and ionically wall-bound peroxidases (I). The preferred substrate for cladode peroxidases was determined to be o-dianisidine over 4-chloro-1-naphtol and guaiacol. Contrarily to roots, no guaiacol-based activity was found in cladodes. The late ecotypes 1'Haddaouia' and 'Moussa' showed a relatively high peroxidase ratio S/I (units g−1 fresh weight). When subjected to electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels, S and I peroxidase fractions each exhibited two enzyme forms based on their electric charges in basic and acidic gel media. Acidic peroxidase forms, well separated on basic gels, showed two principal migration zones with great differences in their enzyme activities depending on the fraction types S and I. Acidic ionically wall-bound peroxidases exhibited fast, highly active isoforms with Rf values 0.42-0.58. Basic forms, represented essentially in fractions S and resolved on acidic gels, were typified by slow and fast isoforms with a double banded pattern in most ecotypes. Opuntia ecotypes collected from localities surrounding Marrakech exhibited fast basic soluble isoforms, while distant ecotypes from Marrakech, including late ones, were typified by a fast acidic ionically bound isoperoxidase of Rf 0.58. Possible roles of O. f. indica peroxidases in growth and their evaluation as markers in this cactus species are discussed in this study.