Intrinsic fluorescence (IF), surface hydrophobicity (S(o)), electrophoresis, amino acid analysis, circular dichroism (CD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to study folded and unfolded soluble proteins from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (A. h.) and soybean (S). Globulin (Glo) and albumin subfractions (Alb-1 and Alb-2) were extracted from A. h. and S and denatured with urea. Electrophoretic and functional properties indicated a significant correlation between soluble protein fractions from soybean and amaranth. The protein fractions shared some common electrophoretic bands as well as a similar amino acid composition. The larger percent of denaturation in protein fractions, which is associated with enthalpy and the number of ruptured hydrogen bonds, corresponds to disappearance of alpha-helix. The obtained results provided evidence of differences in their secondary and tertiary structures. The most stable was Glo followed by the Alb-2 fraction. Predicted functional changes in model protein systems such as pseudocereals and legumes in response to processing conditions may be encountered in pharmaceutical and food industries. These plants can be a substitute for some cereals.
The hexane extracts of seeds of Ditaxis heterantha afforded two new apocarotenoids whose structures corresponded to methyl 3-oxo-12'-apo-epsilon-caroten-12'-oate (1) (heteranthin) and methyl 3beta,6beta-epoxy-5beta-hydroxy-4,5-dihydro-8'-apo-epsilon-caroten-8'-oate (2) (ditaxin). Both compounds were evaluated for antioxidant activity and protection against DNA oxidative damage by using DPPH* free radical scavenging and Comet assays, respectively.
Ditaxis heterantha seeds are used as spices for flavoring and coloring food. Two new apocarotenoids derived from the seeds, heteranthin and ditaxin, were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic effects in murine lymphoma cells lines. Bioabsorption in mice and preventive and antitumor effects of the apocarotenoids were determined. Ditaxin and heteranthin showed cytotoxic effects in vitro against murine malignant cells and normal splenocyte cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) for ditaxin in splenocytes was 0.1825 mM; in L5178Y, the IC(50) was 0.1923 mM. The heteranthin IC(50) in splenocytes was 0.1325 mM; in L5178Y, the value was 0.3889 mM. The maximum ditaxin plasma concentration was found after 2 hours of administration (mean±standard deviation, 7.5±2.05 μg/mL). Oral administration of the D. heterantha extract (100 mg/kg per day) for 14 days after the L5178Y lymphoma cell implantation showed no significant effect compared with groups that were not pretreated. However, tumor inhibition in groups treated intraperitoneally before inoculation with the L5178Y cells showed a significant difference (P<.001) compared with the groups not pretreated.
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