Abstract: Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was extracted from blueberry leaves with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and then purified sequentially by selective thermal denaturation, dialysis, and Sephadex G-75 column chromatography. Purified protein with high SOD activity was finally lyophilized. The SDS-PSGE of purified protein showed two bands at 32 kD and 42 kD, respectively. UV scanning showed that the enzyme had two absorption peaks at 258 nm and 280 nm, respectively. Atomic absorption indicated that the enzyme contained Zn, Mn, and Fe. In summary, blueberry leaves contain three different types of SOD: Fe-SOD, Mn-SOD, and Cu/Zn-SOD.

Key words: blueberry leaves, superoxide dismutase, purification, characterization