| Abstract: | The effects of four pesticides (three herbicides, atrazine, paraquat, glyphosate, and an insecticide, carbaryl) on the activity and kinetics of an invertase (from yeast), a urease (from jack bean) and an acid phosphatase (from potato) were investigated. Glyphosate and paraquat showed a marked activation effect on invertase activity. From the dependence of Vmax and Km parameters on pesticide concentrations, a mixed-type activation mechanism was suggested. The kinetic behaviour of urease and acid phosphatase appeared to be uninfluenced by both pesticides. Methanol, used as solvent for both carbaryl and atrazine, inhibited invertase, urease and acid phosphatase with, respectively, competitive, non-competitive and uncompetitive mechanisms. The extent of the inhibition was different, as estimated by the values of the inhibition constant K1. An additional inhibition effect of urease and invertase activities was achieved in the presence of carbaryl, whereas no influence was detected on the activity and kinetics of acid phosphatase. Finally, atrazine was shown to alter the kinetics of the enzymes only at higher concentrations. |
