Haley Reinhard
Preliminary Study on the Extraction and Purification of Proteins from Mulberry Fruit
Overview: Our lab focuses on the process of identifying the bioactive proteins and peptides from plant components for use in complimentary medicine or traditional medicine. This presentation specifically focuses on the mulberry fruit and it's benefits against diseases and illnesses like high cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer. Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO), responsible for the international public health, published a book entitled “WHO traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023”. One of the major deficiencies in complimentary medicine is the lack of research data. In the developing world, over 80% of the population use traditional and complementary medicine to treat various ailments. Our laboratory focus is in the evaluation and characterization of bioactive proteins and peptides from various plant components for use as complimentary medicine for various disorders. Found mainly in Asia and North America, mulberry fruit has health benefits targeting multiple diseases, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer risk. The presence of plant compounds such as anthocyanins, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and myricetin are well documented, but data is lacking for proteins and peptides from the mulberry fruit. We are reporting here our preliminary findings on the extraction and purification of proteins and peptides from mulberry fruit using column chromatography and gel electrophoresis. The SDS-PAGE profile revealed that mulberry fruit extract has several proteins and peptides ranging from 5-75 kDa. The partial purification of proteins was achieved using gel filtration and reversed phase HPLC. Further study is in progress to evaluate their homogeneity and primary structure using Edman sequencing and LC/MS/MS technologies.
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