Extraction of PPO Enzyme from Ridge Gourd and its Potential Use in Decolorizing Dyes used in Laboratories at Undergraduate Level to Reduce Organic Pollutants

In agricultural country like India, we generate abundant crop waste and food processing waste. Degradation and disposing of this waste is a major challenge as it contains phenolic and quinone compounds- the major contaminants. Phenolic contamination can be decreased by various techniques such as chemical methods or biological method using enzymes or microorganisms. In this study the enzyme Polyphenol oxidase was extracted from peels of the Ridge gourd using potassium phosphate buffer, was partially purified by precipitating with ammonium sulphate followed by dialysis. Protein and enzyme assays were performed for crude, salt precipitated and dialysis sample. Phenol content was estimated. Effort has been made to study the potential of PPO extracted from peel of ridge gourd to decolorize residual and disposable dyes used in the undergraduate laboratories. The extent of decolorization of dyes gives the measure of effectiveness of PPO in reducing the organic contaminants. Hazardous effect of dyes can be minimized by treating with PPO before draining into sewage system. Comparitive decolorisation of dyes with synthesized dye in chemistry lab was studied using extracted PPO from Ridge gourd. An attempt to treat disposal of hazardous chemical washings from laboratories is made.