Abstract
The model substrate L-dihydroxy phenylalanine (L-DOPA) was used to measure the activity of phenol-oxidase (PO) in peat from a Welsh riparian wetland. The sensitive and relatively simple technique measured the rate of formation of the red coloured compound 2-carboxy-2,3-dihydroindole-5,6-quinone from the enzymic oxidation of L-dopa. The method was used to test the hypothesis that the large exports of phenolic materials from peatlands into aquatic systems were caused by low phenolic-degrading enzyme activities within the peat matrix. The low oxygen availability and acidic pH of the peat soil were found to be sub-optimal for PO activity. Furthermore, a depth-dependent decline in PO activity was inversely correlated with phenolic concentrations. Thus, the findings supported the above hypothesis.
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Pind, A., Freeman, C. & Lock, M.A. Enzymic degradation of phenolic materials in peatlands — measurement of phenol oxidase activity. Plant Soil 159, 227–231 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009285
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009285