Biochemical study of storage proteins of Akbari and Kalehghoochi pistachio cultivars (Pistacia vera) in Rafsanjan, Iran

Seeds are one of the richest sources of plant proteins. The storage proteins have no enzymatic activity and constitute a source of amino acids, nitrogen and carbon skeletons for the developing seedlings. Morphological study of aleurone grains indicated that pistachio nuts had crystalloid protein bodies but no globoid protein bodies. The storage proteins in aleurone grains of two pistachio cultivars (Akbari & Kalehghoochi) in Rafsanjan in Iran were extracted as dry, soaked and during germination. After SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, determination of molecular weight and amount of storage proteins, we found that all of these amounts were the highest in dry grains. These amounts decrease in other grains, except in aleurone of pistachio grains at 6 and 8 days and were similar for both cultivars.