title: Effects of Mucuna pruriens protease inhibitors on Echis carinatus venom.
abstract: The medicinal plant Mucuna pruriens, with reputed anti-snake venom properties has been reported to contain a kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor. This study was undertaken to further evaluate the protease inhibitory potential of gpMuc, a multiform glycoprotein, and other protein fractions from M. pruriens seeds against trypsin, chymotrypsin, Echis carinatus snake venom, ecarin and thrombin. The results showed that gpMuc inhibited both trypsin and chymotrypsin activities and was thermally stable, maintaining its trypsin inhibitory activity at temperatures of up to 50°C. Its structural conformation was also maintained at pH ranges of 4-7. Immunoreactivity study confirms that it contains protease-recognizing epitope on one of its isoforms. The whole protein extract of M. pruriens seeds inhibited prothrombin activation by ecarin and whole E. carinatus venom, and also thrombin-like activity using chromogenic assay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine-Metabolic Science and Biochemistry, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy. nacobriggs@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nnadozie Stanley
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hope-Onyekwere
authors.forename: Godwin Ifeanyi
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Ogueli
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortelazzo
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.forename: Annarita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cito
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Aguiyi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guerranti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D031299:Mucuna / Q000737:chemistry*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry; D013917:Thrombin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D017819:Viperidae
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014757:Viper Venoms; D010450:Endopeptidases; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D014357:Trypsin; D013917:Thrombin; C020097:ecarin