Identification and Partial Sequencing of Oil Body Associated Proteins from the Mature Seed Embryo of Moringa oleifera Lam

Seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam.  have high oleic acid which is  a good source of polyunsaturated oils.       Seed oils are made up of triacylglycerols (TAGs) stored in the oil bodies with oil body associated proteins that support seed germination processes.  Proteins associated with M. oleifera oil bodies have not been reported previously.    This study aimed to identify oil body associated proteins from the mature embryo of M. oleifera.     SDS-PAGE and 2DE analyses yielded three bands with MW 19, 24 and 33kDa.    N-terminal sequencing and alignment with amino acid sequences from protein databases using BLAST confirmed  the identity of the 19kDa protein as  double band reductase which functions in plant defense, reducing toxic substrates and catalyzing phenylpropanol substrate  with its reaction products having significant anticancer properties.   The 24kDa band protein with sequence SPELYIDVM is identified with glutaredoxin Grxs14 which protects the plant from oxidative stress during plant development.    The 33kDa protein with the sequence GPEATKFLMI identified with G-alpha protein AtGPA1 involved in the G protein coupled pathway for sugar signaling in plants.   This is an initial report on the identification and partial protein sequencing of the oil body associated proteins in M. oleifera. These findings suggest that M. oleifera oil bodies contain  antioxidant proteins, which would  support the idea of consuming mature M. oleifera seeds as part of ones diet  because seeds are not popularly consumed relative to the leaves.    Consumption of M. oleifera seeds  in countries where it is widely grown will augment food shortage, thus combating malnutrition.