Isolation and characterisation of a reserve protein from the seeds of cereus jamacaru (Cactaceae)

Abstract

We describe here the isolation and characterisation of a major reserve protein from the seeds of Cerens jamacaru. (Caclaceae). This protein has a molecular mass of 5319 kDa and was isolated by a combination of gel filtration chromatography and reverse phase HPLC. The amino acid composition of the protein was determined and it was shown to have similarities with the amino acid composition of several proteins from the 2S albumin storage protein family. The usefulness of this protein as a molecular marker in the Caclaceae is also discussed.