SEARCH FOR ENZYMATIC MARKERS LINKED TO OIL CONTENT IN THE MESOCARP OF OIL PALM (ELAEIS-GUINEENSIS JACQ) FRUITS

A study was carried out on 4 dehydrogenases that produce NADPH, which is essential for lipogenesis, to find enzymatic markers of the oil content in the mesocarp of oil palm fruits. After cold extraction, enzyme activity was measured on leaflet, root apex and mesocarp extracts. The distribution of the potential activity levels for 3 dehydrogenases in ripe fruits and roots revealed a parallel between these two organs of the plant. In fact, high 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH) and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) contents and a low glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), coincided with complete fruit ripeness. In addition, there were highly significant positive correlations between the oil content of the mesocarp and the potential activities of the 4 dehydrogenases measured on the root apexes of the corresponding trees. This study led to the identification of specific G-6-PDH, 6-PGDH activities and the concentration of protein nitrogen in the cytosol as molecular markers of oil content.