Pak. J. Bot., 47(SI): 119-126, 2015.

PROTEIN PROFILES OF PHYTOAGGLUTININS FROM INDIGENOUS SPECIES OF

EUPHORBIACEAE, LEGUMINOSAE AND MORACEAE FROM PAKISTAN

HASEENA GULZAR1,2*, JAWERIA GUL2 AND GUL HASSAN3

1Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Agriculture,

Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2Department of Biotechnology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal,

Dir Upper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

3 Department of Agriculture, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal,

Dir Upper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

*Corresponding author email: haseenagulzar@gmail.com

Abstract

The present study was aimed at the identification of plant lectins from indigenous plants belonging to Leguminosae

(Albizia lebbeck, Cassia fistula, Pongamia glabra, Acacia catechu), Moraceae (Morus nigra, M. alba, Ficus indica, Ficus

sp., Broussonetia papyrifera) and Euphorbiaceae (Euphorbia helioscopia, Jatropha hastata, Putranjiva roxburgii). Soluble

proteins were selectively isolated in 0.15 M NaCl and the presence of agglutinin activities against erythrocytes of blood

groups A, B, AB and O was monitored in different organs of the plants. The protein content of the extract was determined

by Pyrogallol Red method. An SDS gel electrophoresis protocol was developed to separate proteins in crude extracts as well

as fractions obtained by fast protein liquid chromatography of some selected plants. The gel electrophoresis was carried out

using a Bio-Rad Mini gel assembly. Several distinct protein profiles were observed both for the crude protein extracts and

samples fractionated by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). These proteins corresponded with strong agglutinin

activities particularly in Albizia lebbeck (black siris), Cassia fistula (Amaltas), Pongamia glabra (Sukh chaen), Aacacia

catechu (Katha) Morus nigra (Siah Toot), M. alba (Bedana) and Putranjiva roxburghii (Patanjan).

Key words: Agglutinin activities, Indigenous plant species, Lectins, Protein profiles, FPLC and SDS-PAGE.