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Amino acids
in seeds and seedlings of the genus Lens.
Phytochemistry 2001 Sep;58(2):281-9
Rozan P, Kuo YH, Lambein F.
Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Ghent University, Jozef Kluyskensstraat 27, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
The amino acid content of seeds and 4-day-old seedlings were studied in five
species of lentil: Lens culinaris, L. orientalis, L. ervoides, L. nigricans and
L. odemensis. Free amino acid and also total protein amino acid content after
HCl hydrolysis were determined by HPLC. The nonprotein UV-absorbing amino acids
were determined by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The content of free
protein amino acids in seeds varied among species and increased dramatically
after germination. Asparagine is quantitatively most important in both seed and
seedling. The content of free nonprotein amino acids is variable in seeds and
seedlings. gamma-Hydroxyarginine, gamma-hydroxyornithine, alpha-aminobutyric
acid and taurine were found in both seeds and seedlings. Homoarginine was found
in four species but not in L. orientalis while gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA),
alpha-aminoadipic acid (alpha-aaa) and three isoxazolinone derivatives:
beta-(isoxazolin-5-on-2-yl)-alanine (BIA), gamma-glutamyl-BIA (gamma-glu-BIA)
and 2-carboxymethyl-isoxazolin-5-one (CMI) were found exclusively in the
seedlings. CMI was identified for the first time in lentil species. Lathyrine,
beta-(2-amino-pyrimidine-4-yl)-alanine, which was reported to be in the seeds of
some Lathyrus species was confirmed to be present also in the seedling of L.
culinaris (trace amount), L. nigricans and L. odemensis. Trigonelline
(N-methyl-nicotinic acid), a plant hormone, is present both in seeds and
seedlings in different concentrations except in L. ervoides. The different
combination of nonprotein amino acids among the species gives indication of
their genetic relationship and might partly explain the varying compatibility
for interspecies crossing.
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