CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF PROTEINS AND MUCILAGES FROM ROOTS AND SEEDS OF GLOSSOSTEMON BRUGUIERI DESF (MOGHAT)

The powdered roots of moghat (Glossostemon bruguieri) have been tradit ionally used in Eastern countries for their nutritive and therapeutic value. However, the biological effects of the plant constituents have not been proved on the basis of scientific research. The present study aimed to evaluate the content and composition of proteins and mucilag es of the roots and seeds of moghat, as well as the hypoglycemic effec t of the mucilages. The crude protein constituted 19.5% of the seeds, while it made up 4.5% of the peeled dried roots of Glossostemon brugui eri (Moghat). Glutamic acid, proline, leucine, phenylalanine, histidin e and arginine were abundant in the protein of both plant parts; 72 an d 83%, respectively. Valine, cysteine, methionine and lysine were dete cted only in seed protein. Molecular weights of the seed proteins were 50 000, 45 000 and 22 000. Moghat seeds contained 5.0% mucilage, whil e 15.75% and 29.60% were recorded in roots of one- and two-year-old pl ants, respectively. GLC investigation showed that both these plant par ts contained rhamnose, xylose, mannose and galacturonic acid. Arabinos e (1.8%) and glucuronic acid (14.6%) were present only in the seeds, w hile galactose constituted 33.7 to 34.5% of the root mucilage. Age of the roots was reflected in quantitative differences rather than qualit ative ones. The root mucilages had remarkable hypoglycemic activity, d ecreasing the blood glucose level in diabetic rats by 54.5% within 15 days. Accordingly, moghat roots should be investigated as potential me dical and nutritive food.