Abstract
Leguminous seeds (Fabaceae) have a high content of inhibitors of which serine protease inhibitors are the most widely studied. However, there are only a few studies related to the investigation of these proteins in tree species belonging to the Amazon flora. The protein content presented in seeds of four Amazonian Leguminosae species, Parkia pendula, P. discolor, P. multijuga and P. Nitida, was extracted by using NaCl 0.15 mol L-1 and then partially fractionated by using affinity chromatography performed on a trypsin-Sepharose 4B. These inhibitors presented different affinities between trypsin and chymotrypsin serine proteases, showing a higher inhibition to trypsin compared to chymotrypsin, except for P. nitida, which showed high inhibition against both enzymes. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the species from Parkia genus have a main band corresponding to partially purified trypsin inhibitors. The apparent molecular mass inhibitors (approximately 13-18 kDa) and the high specificity for trypsin suggest the occurrence of Bowman-Birk and Kunitz type inhibitors.
Highlights
Fabaceae seeds are a rich source of protease inhibitors (PIs)
The total protein content measured by the micro Kjeldahl method for the seeds of P. pendula P. discolor, P. multijuga and P. nitida ranged from 9.4% (P. multijuga) to 17.2% (P. pendula) of the dry weight, and showed an average of 13.4%
The protein content related to trypsin inhibitors separated from saline extract using affinity chromatography revealed that the amount of soluble proteins related to trypsin inhibitors varied from 8.1% for P. multijuga to 68.9% for P. nitida
Summary
Fabaceae seeds are a rich source of protease inhibitors (PIs). These proteins are produced either constitutively or by induction in vegetative and reproductive plant tissues composing approximately 5% to 15% of the total protein content (Shee & Sharma 2008, Chan et al 2013). PIs play an important role in many functions of different plant tissues, regulating proteolytic. 1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica Vegetal, Av. Ephigênio Salles, 2239, Aleixo, 69060‐020, Manaus, AM, Brasil. 2. FioCruz Rondônia, Centro de Estudos Biomoleculares Aplicado à Saúde, Rua da Beira, 7671, Lagoa, 76812-245, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have