Latex proteins from the plant Calotropis procera are partially digested upon in vitro enzymatic action and are not immunologically detected in fecal material.
Soluble proteins from the latex of Calotropis procera (LP) were investigated in vitro and in vivo for digestibility as the latex has previously been shown to produce considerable toxic effects on animals. The latex is also an important biologically active compound that displays antiinflammatory and antidiarrhea properties. The proteins were digested by the action of trypsin, pepsin or chemotrypsin as revealed by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE analysis. Furthermore, the full LP digestion was easily achieved by protease treatment. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies raised against LP failed to detect cross-reactive molecules in fecal material of experimental rats following 35 consecutive days of LP consumption in water. Similar patterns of electrophoresis were observed for the negligible amounts of protein observed in the fecal extracts of control and test animals. No death or toxic effects were observed among animals. Taken together these results suggest that harmful and toxic effects on animals of the latex from C. procera are present in its rubber and low molecular weight fractions rather than its protein content.
Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular da Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, Cx. Postal 6033, Fortaleza-Ceará, CEP 60451-970, Brazil. vramos@ufc.br
Márcio V
MV
Ramos
Valéria C
VC
Aguiar
Ana A
AA
da Silva Xavier
Michael W
MW
Lima
Glaís P
GP
Bandeira
J Peter
JP
Etchells
Nádia A P
NA
Nogueira
Nylane M N
NM
Alencar
D000818:Animals; D031107:Calotropis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D007840:Latex / Q000737:chemistry*; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
D007840:Latex; D010940:Plant Proteins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D014357:Trypsin; D010434:Pepsin A