Plant-derived enzymes as sustainable biocatalysts for biosensing and industrial applications

Plant-derived enzymes have emerged as sustainable and biocompatible alternatives to animal and microbial enzymes, with extensive applications in biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial processing. These enzymes demonstrate advantages such as low immunogenicity, environmental compatibility, substrate specificity, and operational stability under mild conditions. Additionally, plant enzymes are key biocatalysts in biosensor development, enabling real-time detection of analytes such as urea, glucose, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals through enhanced electrochemical performance. Industrially, plant enzymes replace hazardous chemicals in food, textile, and biofuel sectors, promoting greener production practices. Recent advancements in enzyme engineering and molecular farming have further enhanced enzyme yield and specificity, broadening their applicability. This review comprehensively explores the sources, extraction methods, and functional properties of various bioactive enzymes, including amylase, pectinase, cellulase, laccase, asparaginase, galactosidase, actinidin, urease, and others, derived from diverse plant tissues. By emphasizing their biochemical versatility and environmental benefits, this review highlights the growing strategic importance of plant-derived enzymes in fostering eco-friendly innovations across health, industry, and environmental domains. • The review emphasizes advancements in strategies for enzyme extraction from plants, purification, and stabilization. • Plant-derived enzymes offer eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives to microbial and animal enzymes. • Plant-based enzymes serve as renewable, non-toxic, and sustainable alternatives for biosensing and other applications. • Such plant-sourced enzymes hold strong promise for commercialization and scalable green technologies.