Basella alba is a soft green vegetable, survives in adverse environmental circumstances, for example, very cold temp.
although the mechanism and the temp. sensitivity in this species are not clarified. Pot expt. for cultivation of B. alba was
carried out to examine the effects of low temp. on the synthesis of two enzymes, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and
peroxidase (POD) in leaf of this plant. They were exposed to 8 °C for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h periods and the resp. controls
were kept in ambient room temp. for the above mentioned time. Low temp. causes the higher activity of PPO and the
threshold level was found after 48 h period when compared to the resp. controls. The activity was higher at 10 mM
catechol, substrate for this enzyme, than 100 mM and 200 mM concn., however, the three doses yielded the gradual
increase in activity. Similar stimulatory effects on peroxidase (POD) activity in leaf were obsd. whenever the plants were
exposed to cold for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h periods and maximal after 48 h period. Our findings demonstrate that the higher
activity of these enzymes in leaf might be an index for the regulatory mechanism of the survival of these species in such
adverse environment.