Abstract:Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms and constitutes the first link in the enzyme scavenging system of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, species and organ diversity of SOD activity in a solution and in an in-gel assay system, as well as the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on SOD activity, were investigated. In a solution assay system, SOD activity of jackfruit root, shoot, leaves, axes, and cotyledons, of maize embryos and endosperms, of mung bean leaves and seeds, of sacred lotus axes and cotyledons, and of rice and wheat leaves was increased by 1–15 mmol/L H2O2. However, SOD activity in rice root and seeds, maize roots and leaves, mung bean roots and shoots, and wheat seeds was decreased by 1–15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity of wheat root and soybean roots, leaves, axes, and cotyledons was increased by 1–4 mmol/L H2O2, but was decreased by concentrations of H2O2 >4 mmol/L. The SOD activity of soybean shoots was not affected by 1–15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity in crude mitochondria of jackfruit, maize, and upas seeds, as well as in purified mitochondria of jackfruit, was also increased by 1–15 mmol/L H2O2. In the in-gel assay system, the SOD in jackfruit cotyledons was comprised of Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Fe-SOD, the crude mitochondria of jackfruit seeds and maizes embryo was comprised of Mn-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD, and the crude mitochondria of maize seeds was comprised of Mn-SOD only. In the present study, H2O2 markedly inhibited Cu/Zn-SOD and Fe-SOD activity.(Author for correspondence.Tel: +86 (0)691 871 5474; Fax: +86 (0)691 871 5070; E-mail:sqsong@xtbg.ac.cn)