Effect of Seed-Borne Mycoflora on Protein and Amino Acid Content of Jatropha curcas L. Seeds During Storage

Effect of Seed-Borne Mycoflora on Protein and Amino Acid Content of Jatropha curcas L. Seeds During Storage.

Jatropha curcas is a non-edible oil crop predominately used to produce bio-diesel. J. curcas seed meal (with 1 -2 % residual oil) has 58 -64 % crude protein (90 % of which is present in the form of true protein) and levels of essential amino acids except lysine are higher which were constantly effected by the seed-borne mycoflora during storage. The objective of this study was to estimate the change in protein and amino acid content of Jatropha seeds after deterioration. For protein and amino acid estimations fresh, stored as well as infested Jatropha seeds were used. Whole seed and kernels were infested with six fungi isolated from Jatropha curcas seeds during storage viz. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium chlamydosporum and Penicillium glabrum separately. Four different concentrations of seed samples viz. 50μl, 100μl, 150μl and 200μl were taken for the protein and amino acid estimation of stored as well as infested Jatropha seeds. Protein content of two years stored Jatropha seeds at 200μl concentration is much less as compared to fresh seeds. Minimum protein content was found in Fusarium chlamydosporum infested Jatropha seeds i.e., 10μg/ml which is very less as compared to fresh seeds i.e., 110.67μg/ ml at 50μl concentration respectively. Protein profiling by SDS-PAGE revealed that the maximum number of bands was shown by fresh Jatropha seeds and kernels. The presence or absence of bands in protein profiling might be responsible for presence or absence of protein of that size. Surprisingly, amino acids of infested seeds were increased due fungal infection and maximum amino acids content was found in Aspergillus flavus infested kernels at 200μl concentration followed by Fusarium chlamydosporum and Aspergillus flavus infested Jatropha kernels.