Dehydrogenase activity (DHA): Measure of total microbial activity and as indicator of soil quality

Abstract

Profound agriculture practices may emerge a numerous problem like reduction in soil fertility, erosion, ground water contamination which has direct impact on the soil health. To evaluate soil quality, it is essential to learn all potential changes in soil biological properties. Enzymes are macromolecular biological catalyst in life processes, likewise in soil they are essential to play prospective role in maintaining soil health and to ass’s soil quality. There are substantial enzymes in the soil environment, such as oxidoreductases, hydrolyses, isomerases, lyases and ligases. All of these enzymes play crucial role in several soil biological activities and maintaining soil health. In the group of all enzymes in soil environment, dehydrogenase is a most important enzyme belonging to the group of oxidoreductases that oxidizes a substrate by reducing an electron acceptor. Determination of dehydogenase enzyme activity in the soil samples gives us large amount of information about biological characteristic of soil which is essential for maintaining soil fertility as well as soil health. The main intendment of this review paper to define the role of intracellular enzyme dehydrogenase in soil environment as well as different methodology to estimate this enzyme activity in soil. Paper also illustrate that dehydogenases enzyme activity serves as microbial indicator and measure of total microbial activity to asses soil health and is quality.