RESUMO
Hairy root cultures of Armoracia lapathifolia established by infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes LBA 9402 present a level and isoenzyme pattern of peroxidases (POD) comparable to nontransformed roots. Elicitation with chitosan (10, 50, and 100 mg/L) was used in order to improve POD production. Total POD activity increased about 170% after 48 h of treatment with chitosan 100 mg/L. Elicitation effect on soluble and ionically cell-wall-bound POD fractions of A. lapathifolia hairy roots was analyzed. POD activity of the ionically cell-wall-bound protein fraction increased in the presence of chitosan in a dose-response manner. No effect on soluble POD fractions was observed, but the isoenzyme pattern analyzed by isoelectrofocusing showed an increase of an acidic isoenzyme (pI = 3.4) after the elicitation treatment. The ionically cell-wall-bound protein fraction showed only basic isoenzymes, with an increase of an isoenzyme of pI = 8.7, after the elicitation treatment.