Emam A. Abdel-Rahim

The changes of protein patterns during one week of germination of some legume seeds and roots

Abstract This study was carried out in order to evaluate some Egyptian legume seeds ( Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum and Lupinus termes ) as raw and germinated foods, as sources of plant proteins. The work was extended to study the changes of the seed and root proteins during 7 days of germination. The results are summarised as follows: (1) The proteins of ungerminated seeds were resolved on SDS-PAGE into a number of bands and their molecular weights were determined: chick-peas, 19 (8–78 kDa); faba beans, 20 (11–96 kDa) and lupins 19 (14–86 kDa). (2) The changes in the seed and root proteins during 7 days of germination of the V. faba, C. arietinum and L. termes showed the following: • • The number of seed bands of C. arietinum, V. faba and L. termes at the first day were 19 (12–89 kDa), 25 (12–98 kDa) and 16 (12–98 kDa); they decreased up to the seventh day of germination to 12, 22 and 9 bands, respectively. The number of root bands were 13 (13.5–89 kDa), 23 (12–98 kDa) and 19 (13–96 kDa), respectively. • • The number of seed stable (constant) proteins during the 7 days of germination were 8, 4 and 0 proteins for C. arietinum, V. faba and L. termes , respectively. The roots contained 4, 3 and 1 proteins, respectively. • • V. faba and L. termes were the predominant seeds, containing high-molecular-weight reserve proteins which degraded and disappeared within the first 3 days of germination to give smaller peptides or amino acids. New synthesised proteins were found and this was especially marked in L. termes seeds. • • It was noticed that all three seeds contained newly synthesised proteins, mainly up to the third day of germination and the numbers of these proteins were found to be 4, 4 and 3 proteins for C. arietinum, V. faba and L. termes , respectively. In roots there were 5, 4 and 0 proteins, respectively.

Biochemical dynamics of hypocholesterolemic action of Balanites aegyptiaca fruit

Abstract Whole and extracted pulps of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits were tested as a hypocholesterolemic agent using adult albino rats. Food intake, gain in body weight, food efficiency ratio and liver/body weight ratio were determined. The addition of 10% whole or extracted pulp to the diet at the expense of starch caused a highly significant decrease in the serum and liver cholesterol and serum protein levels when compared with a positive control (hypocholesterolemic diet). This means that the pulp contains a powerful hypocholesterolemic agent. Phytochemical screening of alcoholic extracts of pulp and kernel shows that sterols, terpenes and saponins are the predominant natural compounds in both pulp and kernel, while tannins, alkaloids and resins appear in slightly lower amounts. Serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activities were estimated before and after the addition of whole and extracted pulp. Both activities were inhibited by the hypocholesterolemic diets but the decreased values were higher than that of control animals.

Biochemical action of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits as a possible hypoglycemic agent

Abstract The effect of Balanites aegyptiaca as an anti-diabetic agent was investigated using adult albino rats. The rats were injected with alloxan to induce diabetes. Daily gain in body weight, daily food intake, food efficiency, serum protein, serum glutamic-oxalacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activities and liver body weight ratio were determined before and after 2, 10 and 20 days of alloxan injection. The addition of 10% whole or extracted pulp of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits at the expense of starch in the basal diet caused a considerable decrease in food intake and a gain in body weight and, consequently, food efficiency ratio, in the first 10 days compared with the negative control. In the second 10 days, rats fed on the basal diet, or the basal diet supplemented with 10% whole or extracted pulp, recovered their appetite for food and gained daily in body weight and food efficiency ratio. The liver body weight ratio was not significantly affected. The addition of whole or extracted pulp also caused a highly significant decrease in serum glucose level and serum protein and inhibited the activities of GOT and GPT in alloxanized rats.

Hepatoprotective Effects of Solanum nigrum Linn Fruits Against Cadmium Chloride Toxicity in Albino Rats

The present work is aimed to investigate the toxicity of 1/20 LD50 of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) on male albino rats by oral ingestion and to determine the hepatoprotective effect of Solanum nigrum Linn (SN) dried fruits and their ethanolic extract against CdCl2 toxicity using biochemical parameters. Rats were divided into six groups; the first group is control, second group is CdCl2-intoxicated rats, third group is fed with a semi-modified diet with S. nigrum fruits, fourth group rats ingested with dried extract, and intoxicated rats (groups 5 and 6) were treated with fruits and ethanolic extract of S. nigrum, respectively. The results showed that rats exposed to CdCl2 induced remarkable decrease in body weight gain, feed efficiency, and Hb, Hct, RBC, and WBC count and MCHC, but increase in MCV and MCH values. In the case of plasma enzymes, there were significant stimulations observed in ALT and AST, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and LDH activities of CdCl2-intoxicated rats (group 2) compared to control (group 1). Plasma protein profile showed decreases in total soluble protein and albumin; also globulin content was decreased by CdCl2 ingestion. Under the same condition, plasma total bilirubin and glucose levels were increased in group 2. In addition, lipid peroxidation and antioxidative system (GSH, catalase, and SOD) of liver were harmed by CdCl2 ingestion. Whereas, normal rats treated with SN showed insignificant changes in groups 3 and 4 as compared to control (group 1). The treatment with dried fruits and their ethanolic extract in CdCl2-intoxicated rats (groups 5 and 6) ameliorated and improved these harmful effects in all above parameters either for blood or liver. The results of this study suggest the protective effect of S. nigrum against liver injury happened by CdCl2 which may be attributed to its hepatoprotective activity and thereby.

Comparison of nutritional and antinutritional factors in soybean and fababean seeds with or without cortex

Abstract The composition and contents of nutritional factors such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, fibers, amino acids, and antinutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, and tannins were compared in soybean and fababean seeds with emphasis placed on the nutritional improvement of the seeds by cortex removal. Protein hydrolysis analysis for both whole seeds and seed with cortex removed revealed the presence of a large amount of lysine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, and leucine while these seeds contained a low level of tryptophan, cystine, and methionine. Some antinutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, and tannins were detected in soybean and fababean seeds: phytic acid content and trypsin inhibitor activity were higher in soybean seeds than in fababean seeds while the difference in the tannin content was less pronounced. It was found that most of the tannins occurred in the cortex of the soybean and fababean seeds. Tannins are polyphenolic compounds that readily form indigestible complexes with proteins and other macromolecules under specific environmental conditions. By removal of the cortex, tannins were almost completely eliminated without changes in the protein composition and amino acids. From these results, it is assumed that since soybean and fababean seeds contained a high concentration of antinutritional factors in the cortex such as tannins, the utilization of the legume seeds after removal of all of the cortex is suitable for human diet or industrial products.

Effect of germination on the ribonucleic acids (RNA) of some legume seeds (Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum and Lupinus termes)

Abstract The present study was carried out in order to evaluate some Egyptian legume seeds ( Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum and Lupinus termes ) as raw and germinated foods, as sources of plant proteins. The work was extended to study the changes of nucleic acids (28S RNA, 18S RNA, 16S RNA, 5.8S RNA, 5S RNA, 4.5S RNA and tRNA) content and distribution during 1 week of germination using HPLC and electrophoresis techniques. The results are summarised as follows. (1) The RNAs from the first day of germination of seeds and roots were separated into five major types: 28/18S RNA, 16S RNA, 5.8S RNA, 5S RNA and tRNA. (2) The RNAs at the seventh day of germination in both seeds and roots are 16S RNA, 5S RNA, 4.5S RNA and tRNA, in addition to two degradation regions in the range of 28/18S RNA and tRNA. Also, appearance of new RNA (mainly 4.5S RNA, a chloroplast RNA) and disappearance of 5.8S RNA, which was present at the first day of germination, were as expected after 7 days of germination. (3) The 24 h germinated seeds have a mature and complete set of the RNA species which means that the synthesis of these RNA species already occurred during the first 24 h of imbibition. (4) A new buffer system for separating the total RNA into their species, 28/18S RNA, 5S RNA and tRNA by the HPLC technique, is also reported.

Isolation, identification, characterisation and stability of new cytoplasmic RNPs from Vicia faba seeds

Abstract A new small cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complex (scRNPs) was isolated for the first time and its proteins and RNAs were identified. The results are summarised as follows: 1. (1) Vicia faba seeds soaked for 20 h has four complexes between the RNA and the proteins, three of them are major (complexes 1, 2 and 3 or C1, C2 and C3) and one minor (C4). 2. (2) Each complex contains two major proteins: complex 1 (C1) has 62 and 48 kDa patterns; C2 has 48 and 36 kDa; C3 has 36 and 25 kDa and C4 has 25 and 23 kDa. 3. (3) The differences between the highest molecular weight major proteins of each complex are approximately 12 ± 1 kDa (C1 has 62 kDa, C2 has 48 kDa, C3 has 36 kDa and the complex has 25 kDa). 4. (4) Each of the three major complexes contain the same species of uridine-rich RNA which was characterised as U1, U4, U5 and U6, in addition to the proteins mentioned above. 5. (5) The RNA in the complexes was found to be from the type of uridine-rich small ribonucleic acids that bind with proteins. They are called small ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), and because they are found for the first time in cytoplasm and not extracted from the nucleus as in the literature, the name small cytoplasmic ribonucleoproteins (scRNPs) is suggested. 6. (6) The complexes were separated by a known method. 7. (7) The complexes were also separated using a new technique of separation. 8. (8) The RNA-protein complexes (scRNPs) were found to be strongly stable in guanidine-HCl (6 m ), cyanobromide and sodium dodecyl sulphate (10%) at 100°C for 10 min. The complexes were slightly affected by proteinase K degrading enzyme and strongly stable with RNasel, which hydrolyses the ribonucleic acids. 9. (9) The results reveal that the proteins in the complexes have a specific function or enzymatic effect. Also, the uridine-rich RNAs (snRNA) U1, U4, U5 and U6 which are the same scRNA were found to have an important role in the splicing of the pre-mRNA to give mRNA.