Catecholase Lab Report

The results of the experiment falsified the alternative hypothesis that increasing temperature would increase enzymatic activity. In his study, Yagˇar concludes that the optimal temperature for catacholase is 40oC, which means that the color intensity of the solution should be greatest around 40oC (2004). Past this temperature, the color intensity should decrease. These conclusions however are not consistent with the results of the experiment. This inconsistency could be due to the excess drops of catechol in test tube “10”, and this excess reactant may have contributed to the intense color even though the solution was cooled. Another inconsistency is the intensity of test tube “50”. By Yagˇar’s results, the catecholase should have denatured,
and the activity should have decreased; however, this conflicts with the results of the experiment. At 50oC, the reaction produced an intense color even though this temperature should have denatured the enzyme. This conflicting information could be due to the temperature of the solution not actually reaching 50oC, meaning that the temperature was still in a range that was optimal for increased rate of reaction. Understanding the relationship between temperature and catecholase activity allows better preserving and cooking of fruits and vegetables. Having the optimal temperature in mind enables people to slow down the browning process by placing fruits and vegetables in extremely cold or warm environments to inactivate catecholase.