Potential applications of peroxidases

Peroxidases are oxidoreductases produced by a number of microorganisms and plants. Peroxidases catalyse a variety of reactions in the presence of peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide. Oxidative polymerisation of phenols and aromatic amines, conducted by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in water and water-miscible organic solvents, may lead to new types of aromatic polymers. Peroxidase has a potential for soil detoxification, while HRP, as well as soybean and turnip peroxidases have been applied to the bio-remediation of waste waters contaminated with phenols, cresols and chlorinated phenols. Lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) may be successfully used for biopulping and biobleaching in the paper industry and can produce oxidative breakdown of synthetic azo dyes. Peroxidase-based biosensors have found use in analytical systems for determination of hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxide, while, co-immobilized with hydrogen peroxide-producing enzyme, they can be used for determination of glucose, alcohols, glutamate and choline. Peroxidase has also been used for practical analytical applications in diagnostic kits, such as quantification of uric acid, glucose, cholesterol. lactose, etc. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests, in which peroxidase enzyme is the most common enzyme used for labelling an antibody, are a simple and reliable way of detecting toxins, pathogens, cancer risk in bladder and prostate, and many other analytes. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.