Lunasin detection in coloured wheat genotype

Abstract

Lunasin is a biologically active protein, composed of 43 amino acid residues. There has been proven many health-promoting effects of lunasin peptide. The most important health benefits include: anti-hypertension, antioxidant activity, cancer prevention or therapy. It was also demonstrated anti-inflammation, hypocholesterolemic activity, anti-obesity and immunomodulation. The focus of our research is to summarize the discovery, characterization and biological activities of lunasin, which will provide a reference for the future development and utilization of lunasin, and a basis for exploring the underlying mechanisms of these health-beneficial functions. Lunasin was first isolated in 1987 at Niigata University School of Medicine in Japan, during the screening of protease inhibitors from soybean seeds. It was subsequently found in other beans, grains and herbal plants, including wheat, barley, rye, triticale. Concentration of lunasin is ranging from 0.013 to 70.5 mg protein lunasin/g of protein. Big step forward in the understanding of the lunasine operating mechanism in the fight against cancer has arisen after study on cloning of the soybean lunasin gene and subsequent transfection into mammalian cells which led to the discovery that the lunasin gene can disrupt mitosis and induce chromosome breakage, ultimately leading to cell apoptosis. The main goal of our work was to evaluate collection of wheat with unusual grain colour for presence of lunasin gene. DNA was extracted by commercial kit and lunasin gene was detected by PCR reaction. Our results showed presence of lunasin gene detected by 3 combinations of 2 sets of primer pair and indicated lunasin peptide presence in cereal grains. These findings are necessary to confirmed by proteome analysis.

Keywords

• cancer
• coloured wheat
• gene detection
• lunasin
• PCR