Biochemical characterization of amandin, the major storage protein in almond (Prunus dulcis L.).

• Date posted:  01/01/2002 
• Posted In:
• Almonds,
• Nutrient and Bioactive Composition,

Sathe, S.K., W.J. Wolf, K.H. Roux, S.S. Teuber, M. Venkatachalam, K.W.C. Sze-Tao, 2002.  Biochemical characterization of amandin, the major storage protein in almond (Prunus dulcis L.). J Agric Food Chem.50(15):4333-41.

The almond major storage protein, amandin, was prepared by column chromatography (amandin-1), cryoprecipitation (amandin-2), and isoelectric precipitation (amandin-3) methods. Amandin is a legumin type protein characterized by a sedimentation value of 14S. Amandin is composed of two major types of polypeptides with estimated molecular weights of 42-46 and 20-22 kDa linked via disulfide bonds. Several additional minor polypeptides were also present in amandin. Amandin is a storage protein with an estimated molecular weight of 427,300 +/- 47,600 Da (n = 7) and a Stokes radius of 65.88 +/- 3.21 A (n = 7). Amandin is not a glycoprotein. Amandin-1, amandin-2, and amandin-3 are antigenically related and have similar biochemical properties. Amandin-3 is more negatively charged than either amandin-1 or amandin-2. Methionine is the first essential limiting amino acid in amandin followed by lysine and threonine.