Physicochemical characterization of Jatropha oil seed and suitability as biodiesel feedstock

The physiocochemical properties of Jatropha curcas kernel oils were characterized as potential biodiesel, including oil yield per plant, seed oil content, kernel oil content, acid value, iodine value, saponification value and cetane number. Twenty-five accessions of Jatropha curcas were used for oil content measurement sranging from 21.14 to 40.66 %with a mean value of 32.85% and Kernels oil 48.59 to 60.45 % with a mean value of 56.28 %. The seed index ranged significantly from a seed weight of 45.45 to 64.45 g. Oil yields per plant ranged from 0.44 to 2.85 kg with a mean value of 1.70 kg per plant, respectively. To understand the properties of acid value, iodine value, saponification and cetane number, experimental physio-chemical studies were performed. Since these properties are critical for determining the current oil condition. The current study confirms that accession seeds performed higher than international saponification value, iodine value and cetane number standards may be an important source for meeting potential energy requirements.

In silico comparative proteomic analysis of enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis in castor bean (Ricinus communis) and soybean (Glycine max)

Plant oils are very important for domestic and industrial use. Biodiesel can be obtained from plant seed oil. Biodiesel is currently popular and in demand due to the high cost of petroleum and to avoid pollution. It is time to increase plant seed oil production and conduct research to find ways of enhancing its production. We studied two species of oil seed plants, i.e. Ricinus communis and Glycine max, with varying amounts of oil content. Proteins from six categories of enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis were selected for study. The 3D structures were predicted using different structure prediction tools. The structures were validated and selected on the basis of quality factors. The pairs of proteins were compared by pairwise sequence alignment using Clustal W and structural superposition by Chimera Matchmaker. The physiochemical properties were studied by PROTPARAM. In R. communis, eighteen structures were selected from I Tasser, thirteen from Swiss Model, and two from Raptorx. In G. max, twenty structures were selected from I Tasser, nine from Swiss Model, and four from Raptorx. The highest percent identity in pairwise sequence alignment was observed between the two species for biotin carboxylase. Biotin carrier was least identical between these two species. Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol desaturase (FAD5) showed the highest percentage of structural identity between the two species while ER phosphatidate phosphate was least identical. Eight proteins in both species had an instability index below 40. Eight proteins in R. communis and five in G. max were acidic in nature. Fourteen proteins in R. communis and seventeen in G. max were hydrophobic. The aliphatic index of all proteins was above 50 with which conferes good thermal stability.

Expression of a functional recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) in Arabidopsis thaliana

Objective Targeting the protein of interest to a particular tissue to achieve high-level expression is an important strategy to increase expression efficiency. The use of the plant seed oil body as a bioreactor can not only increase the amount of target protein, but also reduce the cost of downstream processing. Methods VEGF165 was expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds via oilbody fusion technology. The pKO-VEGF165 vector was construted and transformed into A. thaliana seeds. T3 transgenic seeds was detected by SDS-PAGE and western blot methods. The cell activity was tested by MTT methods. Result The phaseolin promoter was used to drive seed-specific expression of the VEGF165 gene in transgenic A. thaliana. The coding region of VEGF165 was fused to the Arabidopsis oleosin sequence to target the protein to the oil bodies in the seeds of transgenic plants. The T-DNA region of recombinant plasmid pKO-VEGF165 was shifted to A. thaliana seeds via the floral-dip method. Protein was analyzed by electrophoresis and protein hybridization analyses. Finally, MTT assays showed that the oleosin-VEGF165 fusion protein played a part in the proliferation of HUVEC cells in vitro. Conclusion Oleosin-VEGF165 was successfully expressed and it had stimulated HUVEC cell proliferation activity.