Enzyme reagents from unusual sources

Although microbes are frequent sources of clinically useful enzymes, there are certain biocatalysts which appear to be enriched in, or more naturally available from nonmicrobes. This paper highlights several of these enzyme reagents, and illustrates their potential or actual clinical diagnostic uses. These reagents include: an enzyme extract containing both glucose oxidase and mutarotase activities from peppers; a bilirubin-degrading enzyme from orange peels; a gentisic acid metabolizing activity from onions; and enzymes from snails which catalyze the detoxification of cyanide by divergent mechanisms.