Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa L.) Seed Storage Proteins

Brazil nut storage proteins, 2S albumin, 7S vicilin, and an 11S legumin, were purified using column chromatography. Analytical ultracentrifugation of the purified albumin, vicilin, and legumin proteins, respectively, registered sedimentation coefficients of 1.8, 7.1, and 11.8 S. Under reducing conditions, the major polypeptide bands in 2S albumin were observed at 6.4, 10−11, and 15.2 kDa. The 7S globulin was composed of one 12.6 kDa, two ∼38−42 kDa, and two ∼54−57 kDa polypeptides, whereas the 11S globulin contained two major classes of polypeptides: ∼30−32 and ∼20−21 kDa. The 7S globulin stained positive when reacted with Schiff reagent, indicating that it is a glycoprotein. The estimated molecular mass and Stokes radius for 2S albumin and 7S and 11S globulins were 19.2 kDa and 20.1 Å, 114.8 kDa and 41.1 Å, and 289.4 kDa and 56.6 Å, respectively. Circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis indicated the secondary structure of the three proteins to be mainly β-sheets and turns. Emission fluorescence spectra of the native proteins registered a λmax at 337, 345, and 328 nm for 2S albumin and 7S and 11S globulins, respectively. When probed with anti-Brazil nut seed protein rabbit polyclonal antibodies, 7S globulin exhibited higher immunoreactivity than 2S albumin and 11S globulin.