Three novel mutations in α-galactosidase gene involving in galactomannan degradation in endosperm of curd coconut.

The deficiency of α-galactosidase activity in coconut endosperm has been reported to cause a disability to hydrolyze oligogalactomannan in endosperm resulting in curd coconut phenotype. However, neither the α-galactosidase encoding gene in coconut nor the mutation type has been identified and characterized in normal and curd coconuts. In this study, cDNA and genomic DNA encoding α-galactosidase gene alleles from a normal and two curd coconuts were successfully cloned and characterized.

Chebulin: Terminalia chebula Retz. fruit-derived peptide with angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity.

Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) plays an important role in blood pressure regulation. In this study, an ACE-hexapeptide inhibitor (Asp-Glu-Asn-Ser-Lys-Phe) designated as chebulin was produced from the fruit protein of Terminalia chebula Retz. by pepsin digestion, ultrafiltrated through a 3 KDa cut-off membrane, a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

beta-Glucosidase catalyzing specific hydrolysis of an iridoid beta-glucoside from Plumeria obtusa.

An iridoid beta-glucoside, namely plumieride coumarate glucoside, was isolated from the Plumeria obtusa (white frangipani) flower. A beta-glucosidase, purified to homogeneity from P. obtusa, could hydrolyze plumieride coumarate glucoside to its corresponding 13-O-coumarylplumieride.