QUANTIFICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF KAFIRINS IN THE KERNELS OF SORGHUMCULTIVARS VARYING IN ENDOSPERM HARDNESS

Kafirins extracted from the endosperm of seven sorghum [Sorghum bicolo r (L.) Moench] cultivars were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and enzyme-linked immunosorb ent assay (ELISA). Kafirins extracted from the vitreous and floury end osperm portions within the kernel were also analysed by these techniqu es. The ELISA results indicated that the level of all the three kafiri ns was high in the hard endosperm kernels. The level of gamma-kafirin was particularly higher in the vitreous endosperm portions of these ke rnels. The ratio of gamma-kafirin to the alpha-kafirin was, however, h igher for the floury portions of soft kernels. Tissue print immunoblot ting revealed that the beta- and gamma-kafirins were concentrated in t he central floury endosperm portions of soft kernels, whilst alpha-kaf irin was distributed more uniformly throughout the endosperm. In contr ast, all three kafirins were distributed uniformly throughout the endo sperms of hard kernels. The data indicate that the content, as well as the distribution, of kafirins within the kernel is different in grain s varying in endosperm hardness.