Title

Comparison and temperature study of lectin activities in Texas live oak (Quercus fusiformis) crude extracts

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Plant Sciences

Abstract

Lectins are proteins that contain at least one non-catalytic carbohydrate binding domain. In plants, these proteins are hypothesized to play a critical role in plant defense functions. The extant literature shows that lectins have diverse applications, including medicinal and therapeutic ones. This study examines the presence and the level of lectin activity in the Texas live oak (Quercus fusiformis Small), a plant native to and replete in the South Texas region. To detect and compare lectin activity among selected plant parts of Q. fusiformis, agglutination and protein assays were conducted. The influence of four factors on lectin activity was investigated. These factors are: plant part (leaf, stem and fruit), tree section (A, B and C), temperature (0, 50 and 100°C) and time duration (1, 2 and 3 h) at the different temperature levels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) associated with a factorial experiment, mean comparisons by way of a Tukey's test, trend analysis and regression analysis comprised the analytical strategy. Results indicated that lectin activity is present in each of the selected plant parts and varies significantly across these parts. ANOVA revealed that lectin activity is significantly linked to temperature level. Although relatively stable from 0 to 50°C, trend and regression analyses indicated significant linear and quadratic effects of temperature on lectin activity. These analyses indicated that maximum activity is predicted to occur at about 31°C. No interaction effect was detected between and among the four factors examined. © 2011 Academic Journals Inc.

First Page

124

Last Page

134

DOI

10.3923/jps.2011.124.134

Publication Date

12-9-2011

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