Amino acids and protein profile in floral nectar: Much more than a simple reward

AbstractFloral nectar is a pivotal element of the intimate relationship between plants and pollinators. Nectars are composed of a plethora of nutritionally valuable compounds but also hundreds of secondary metabolites (SMs) whose function remains elusive. Here we performed a set of behavioural experiments to study whether five ubiquitous nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs: β-alanine, GABA, citrulline, ornithine and taurine) interact with gustation, feeding preference, and learning and memory in Apis mellifera. We showed that foragers were unable to discriminate NPAAs from water when only accessing antennal chemo-tactile information and that freely moving bees did not exhibit innate feeding preferences for NPAAs. Also, NPAAs did not alter food consumption or longevity in caged bees over 10 days. Taken together our data suggest that natural concentrations of NPAAs did not alter nectar palatability to bees. Olfactory conditioning assays showed that honey bees were more likely to learn a scent when it signalled a sucrose reward containing either β-alanine or GABA, and that GABA enhanced specific memory retention. Conversely, when ingested two hours prior to conditioning, GABA, β-alanine, and taurine weakened bees’ acquisition performances but not specific memory retention, which was enhanced in the case of β-alanine and taurine. Neither citrulline nor ornithine affected learning and memory. NPAAs in nectars may represent a cooperative strategy adopted by plants to attract beneficial pollinators.

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Optimization of food compositions according to the ideal protein profile

Food systems ◽

10.21323/2618-9771-2021-4-1-4-11 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 4-11

Author(s):

S. V. Zverev ◽

V. I. Karpov ◽

M. A. Nikitina

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Essential Amino Acid ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Protein Profile ◽

Protein A ◽

Sum Of Squares ◽

Reference Protein ◽

Ideal Protein ◽

Amino Acid Score

The paper emphasizes the importance of not only the quantitative but also qualitative composition of protein in nutrition. The authors propose protein classification into three main groups according to the concept of reference (ideal) protein. A mathematical model is examined to solve the task of rational mixture production upon the given profile of reference protein. Two variants of the criterion for formation of optimal composition are described. One of them presents the classical sum of squares of the residual for essential amino acid scores and 1. The second also presents the sum of squares of the residual for essential amino acid scores and 1 but with regard to only those amino acids, which scores are less than 1. The minima of these criteria at the set of variants for the content of ingredients are taken as targeted functions. The algorithm and the program of calculation were realized in the program environment Builder C++ 6.0. The macro flowchart of the algorithm is presented and detailed description of each block is given. The program interface before and after the start of the calculation module is shown. The main windows and interpretation of the presented data are described. An example of realization of the proposed mathematical apparatus when calculating a food model composition is given. Plant components (white kidney beans, flax, peanut, grit “Poltavskaya», dry red carrot) were used as an object of the research. Most plant proteins were incomplete. It is possible to regulate the chemical composition including correction of a protein profile by combination of plant raw materials. Analysis of alternative variants demonstrated that minimum essential amino acid score in the first composition was 0.79 (by the first criterion), in the second 1.0 (by the second criterion); the reference protein proportion in the mixture was 10.8 and 13.5, respectively, according to the first and second criterion. The comparative results by other quality indicators for protein in the mixture are also presented: the coefficient of amino acid score difference (CAASD), biological value (BV), coefficient of utility, essential amino acids index (IEAA).

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Diversity of nectar amino acids in the Fritillaria (Liliaceae) genus: ecological and evolutionary implications

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-51170-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Katarzyna Roguz ◽

Andrzej Bajguz ◽

Magdalena Chmur ◽

Agnieszka Gołębiewska ◽

Agata Roguz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Food Reward ◽

Passerine Bird ◽

Ecological Research ◽

Ecological Context ◽

Floral Nectar ◽

Pollen Vectors ◽

Protein Amino Acids ◽

First Time ◽

Nectar Amino Acids

Abstract Nectar is considered to be a primary food reward for most pollinators. It mostly contains sugars, but also has amino acids. The significance of the concentration and composition of amino acids in nectar is often less understood than that of its volume, sugar concentration and composition. However, there is a trend towards a broader approach in ecological research, which helps to understand nectar properties in an ecological context. The genus Fritillaria, exhibiting great diversity in flower morphology, nectar composition, and dominant pollinators, allows for the possibility to study some of the above. We studied the concentration and composition of amino acids in the nectar of 38 Fritillaria species attracting different groups of pollen vectors (bees, flies, passerines, and hummingbirds). The flowers of fritillaries produced nectar with a varying composition and concentration of amino acids. These differences were mostly associated with the pollinator type. The nectar of passerine bird-pollinated species was rich in amino acids, whereas humming bird-pollinated produced low amino acid nectar. Contrary to previous reports nectar of the insect-pollinated species did not contain a higher amount of proline. Two non-protein amino acids, sarcosine and norvaline, were detected in the floral nectar for the first time.

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Nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs) do not change nectar palatability but enhance learning and memory in honey bees

10.1101/2020.12.04.407734 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniele Carlesso ◽

Stefania Smargiassi ◽

Elisa Pasquini ◽

Giacomo Bertelli ◽

David Baracchi

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Learning And Memory ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Feeding Preference ◽

Memory Retention ◽

Floral Nectar ◽

Olfactory Conditioning ◽

Specific Memory ◽

Protein Amino Acids ◽

Valuable Compounds

AbstractFloral nectar is a pivotal element of the intimate relationship between plants and pollinators and its chemical composition is likely to have been shaped by strong selective pressures. Nectars are composed of a plethora of nutritionally valuable compounds but also hundreds of secondary metabolites (SMs) whose ecological role is still not completely understood. Here we performed a set of behavioural experiments to study whether five ubiquitous nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs: β-alanine, GABA, citrulline, ornithine and taurine) interact with gustation, feeding preference, and learning and memory in the pollinator Apis mellifera. We showed that harnessed foragers were unable to discriminate NPAAs from water when only accessing antennal chemo-tactile information and that freely moving bees did not exhibit innate feeding preferences for NPAA-laced sucrose solutions. Also, dietary consumption of NPAAs did not alter food consumption or longevity in caged bees over 10 days. Taken together our data suggest that ecologically relevant concentrations of NPAAs did not alter nectar palatability to bees. Olfactory conditioning assays showed that honey bees were more likely to learn a scent when it signalled a sucrose reward containing either β-alanine or GABA, and that GABA also enhanced specific memory retention. Conversely, when ingested two hours prior to conditioning, GABA, β-alanine, and taurine weakened bees’ acquisition performances but not specific memory retention, which was enhanced in the case of β-alanine and taurine. Neither citrulline nor ornithine affected learning and memory. Our study suggests that NPAAs in nectars may represent a cooperative strategy adopted by plants to attract beneficial pollinators, while simultaneously enhancing pollen transfer among conspecific flowers. Future work should validate these results in more ecological scenarios and extend the study to as many nectar SMs as possible, alone and in combination, as well as to other species of pollinators.

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Analisis Profil Protein dan Asam Amino Sarang Burung Walet (Collocalia fuchiphaga)Asal Painan

Jurnal Kimia VALENSI ◽

10.15408/jkv.v4i1.1078 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lina Elfita

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Aspartic Acid ◽

High Performance ◽

Hplc Analysis ◽

Protein Profile ◽

Essential Amino Acids ◽

Bird Nest ◽

Sds Page ◽

West Sumatra

Abstrak Penelitian tentang profil protein sarang burung wallet masih terbatas, terutama sarang burung walet dari Indonesia. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa profil protein dan asam amino sarang burung walet yang berasal dari daerah Painan, Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan, Sumatera Barat. Analisis protein dilakukan dengan menggunakan SDS-PAGE, sedangkan analisis asam amino dilakukan dengan menggunakan kromatografi cair kinerja tinggi (KCKT). Analisa ekstrak air sarang burung walet dengan SDS-PAGE menunjukan bahwa sarang burung walet terdiri dari 6 protein. Keenam protein tersebut mempunyai bobot molekul masing-masing 147.2 kDa, 142.6 kDa, 133.4 kDa, 73.3 kDa, 66.2 kDa dan 37.7 kDa. Dari analisa asam amino burung walet dengan KCKT didapatkan 16 asam amino yang terkandung dalam sarang burung wallet, yang terdiri dari 7 jenis asam amino esensial yaitu Histidin (2.31%), Leusin (3.84%), Treonin (3.82%), Valin (3.93%), Metionin (0.48%), Isoleusin (1.80%), Fenilalanine (4.49%) dan 9 asam amino non esensial yaitu Asam Serin (4.56%), Aspartat (4.48%), Arginin (3.93%), Lisin (2.34 %), Prolin (3.64%), Asam glutamate (3.65%), Glisin (1.87%), Alanin (1.31%), Tirosin (3.92%). Serin merupakan asam amino dengan kadar tertinggi (4.56%), diikuti dengan Fenil alanine (4.49%) dan Asam aspartate (4.48%). Kandungan asam amino ini sedikit berbeda dengan kandungan asam amino sarang burung walet dari daerah dan negara lain. Kata kunci: sarang burung walet, protein, asam amino Abstract Study on protein profile of bird nest is still limited particularly protein profile of bird nest from Indonesia has not been reported. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyze protein profile and amino acid composition of bird nest from Painan, Pesisir Selatan Distric, West Sumatra. Protein analysis was performed by SDS-PAGE, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for amino acid analysis. SDS-PAGE analysis showed six bands, which molecular weigh of 147.2 kDa, 142.6 kDa, 133.4 kDa, 73.3 kDa, 66.2 kDa and 37.7 kDa, respectively. On the other hand, HPLC analysis demonstrated that bird nest was composed of 16 amino acids. Seven of them were essential amino acids; histidine (2.31%), leucine (3.84%), threonine (3.82%), valine (3.93%), methionine (0.48%), isoleucine (1.80%), phenylalanine (4.49%), and nine of them were non-essential amino acids; serine (4.56%), aspartic acid (4.48%), arginine (3.93%), lysine (2.34%), proline (3.64%), glutamic acid (3.65%), glycine (1.87%), alanine (1.31%), tyrosine (3.92%). Serine was the highest percentage of amino acid in the bird nest (4.56%), followed by phenylalanine (4.49%) and aspartic acid (4.48%). Composition of amino acid in this bird nest was slightly different with composition of amino acid in bird nest from other area. Keywords : bird nest, protein profile, amino acids

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Chemical Composition, Amino Acid Profile and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Activities of Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) Roe Hydrolyzate

Asian Food Science Journal ◽

10.9734/afsj/2020/v17i430200 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 50-57

Author(s):

Max Robinson Wenno ◽

Johanna Louretha Thenu ◽

Martha Loana Wattimena

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ◽

Protein Profile ◽

Amino Acid Profile ◽

Converting Enzyme ◽

Katsuwonus Pelamis ◽

Average Value ◽

Ace Inhibitory

Roe has a high protein content and a number of amino acids. The process of removing fat and hydrolyzate with enzymes leads to the breaking of the bonds, so that complex proteins are converted into short chain proteins or peptides and free amino acids. The peptide can act as bioactive and has an effect as antihypertensive, antibacterial, antioxidant and so on. This research was aimed at utilizing processed roes to make hydrolyzate which had previously viewed the chemical composition both fresh and defatted, and to determine the protein profile of the roes from hydrolyzate. The research data were analyzed descriptively, and the average value and standard deviation were calculated. The results showed that skipjack roes have a fairly complete chemical composition, such as Proximate (protein, fat, moisture, ash, and carbohydrates), with values, respectively 19,19%, 0,67%, 76,32%, 2,51% and 1,31%. It was also found that the dominant amino acid composition of defatted skipjack mature roes is lysine, glutamate and leusine with values, respectively 12.65, 11.20 and 7.72 g/100 g protein and have activity as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory. The ACE inhibitory activity of Skipjack roe hydrolysates of crude papain enzyme from immature and mature value, respectively 36.62% and 38.82%, while pure papain enzyme from immature and mature value respectively 42.63% and 47.54%. The protein profile of the immature roe hydrolyzate range from 10.88 to 125,80 kDA, while the mature roe hydrolysates range from 10.08 to 125,30 kDa.

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The effect of altering dietary cystine and methionine levels at similar ratios to lysine on the requirements for sulphur amino acids in weaner pigs

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0308229600028075 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1995 ◽

pp. 38-38

Author(s):

P.H. Simmins ◽

J.C. Bodin ◽

A. Kies ◽

P.E.V. Williams

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Protein Profile ◽

Efficient Production ◽

Sulphur Amino Acid ◽

Amino Acid Requirements ◽

Ideal Protein ◽

Sulphur Amino Acids ◽

The Ideal

The efficient production of the weaner pig requires accurate knowledge of its amino acid requirements. This is particularly relevant today as it is increasingly important to reduce nitrogenous waste from pigs. During the past decade formulations for feeds were based on the ideal protein profile of the lean tissue of pigs in which the sulphur amino acid requirements were assessed as the combination of total sulphur amino acids rather than through their individual amino acids, methionine and cystine (Agricultural Research Council, 1981). Today, this concept is challenged. The effect of the changing cystine demand in the weaner pig on the total ileal digestible sulphur amino acid (IDSAA) requirements and hence methionine levels requires study. The objective of this experiment was to understand the requirements and relationship between true ileal digestible cystine and methionine to lysine ratio in the ideal protein content of food to achieve efficient production in the young pig.

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