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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #170554
Title: LESQUERELLA FENDLERI PROTEIN FRACTIONATION AND CHARACTERIZATION

Author
item Wu, Ying Victor
item Hojilla-Evangelista, Milagros - Mila

Submitted to: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/2005
Publication Date: 1/30/2005
Citation: Wu, Y., Hojilla-Evangelista, M.P. 2005. Lesquerella fendleri protein fractionation and characterization. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 82:53-56.

Interpretive Summary: Lesquerella is a promising new crop with valuable oil and gum in the seed. Defatted lesquerella meal contains about 30% protein, but little information is available on the protein. In order to better utilize the seed, it is desirable to find a suitable use for the protein. The protein was extracted and fractionated into various fractions, which have good nutritional values. This study supplied useful information on lesquerella protein and contributed to better utilization of lesquerella seed. This information will benefit farmers, consumers and industry.

Technical Abstract: Lesquerella fendleri is a promising new crop whose seed contains hydroxy fatty acid triglycerides with potential industrial uses. In addition to the oil, lesquerella seed has substantial amounts of valuable gums. Hexane defatted seed has more than 30% protein content. Defatted lesquerella meal was extracted sequentially with 0.5M sodium chloride (2x), water, 70% ethanol, and 0.1 N sodium hydroxide (2x). Each sodium chloride extract was dialyzed against deionized water and centrifuged to separate water-soluble fraction (albumin) from salt-soluble fraction (globulin) before freeze drying. Ethanol extract and neutralized sodium hydroxide extracts (glutelin) were dialyzed against water and freeze dried. Albumin had the highest proportion of lysine and sulfur amino acids per 16 g nitrogen among all the fractions analyzed. Glutelin and globulin accounted for the highest amount of protein nitrogen. SDS-PAGE of reduced albumin, globulin, and glutelin showed the presence of several protein bands with MW ranging from 7 to 98 kD. Nitrogen solubility of defatted lesquerella meal from pH 2 to 12 indicated a minimum solubility of 15% around pH 4.2. Nonprotein nitrogen of defatted meal was 12% of total nitrogen.