An immunological and chemical study of the alcohol-soluble proteins of cereals.

Abstract

The prolamines, or alcohol-soluble proteins, are the characteristic proteins of cereal grains. These proteins were isolated from wheat, Triticum vulgare, durum, Triticum durum, emmer, Triticum dicoccum, spelt, Triticum spelta, einkorn, Triticum monococcum, rye, Secale cereale, oats, Avena sativa, barley, Hordeum vulgare, corn, Zea mays, kafir, Andropogon sorghum, teosinte, Euchlaena mexicana Schrad., and sorghum, Sorghum vulgare, and subjected to chemical and immunological study.The chemical study included the nitrogen distribution by the Van Slyke method, the free amino nitrogen, the free carboxyl groups, the true ammonia nitrogen, the cystine and tryptophane content, and the acid and alkali binding at various hydrogen ion concentrations and at different temperatures. This study showed certain similarities of chemical composition among the prolamines, as a class, as contrasted with the composition and behavior of such proteins as casein and fibrin. The chemical evidence suggested that the prolamines stud...