COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF SEED ALBUMINS IN THE OLD-WORLD LUPINUS SPECIES (FABACEAE) BY REVERSED-PHASE HPLC

Seed albumins and 2S proteins isolated from the albumin fraction of 36 accessions representing 10 Old-World Lupinus species (5 smooth- and 5 rough-seeded) were studied using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the globulin fraction was analyzed to determine its 2S protein content. The performed separations showed the suitability of RP-HPLC technique in the analysis of variation of the seed albumin composition in lupins. In the group of rough-seeded lupins, 3 types of RP-HPLC elution profiles of albumins were distinguished: (1) L. atlanticus, (2) L. cosentinii and L. digitatus, (3) L. palaestinus and L. pilosus. All the species of this group were found to have proteins not observed in smooth-seeded species. Smooth-seeded species exhibited more abundant protein spectra, each species distinguishing by its specific RP-HPLC elution profile. It was found that 2S proteins classified as 2S albumins were responsible for the observed variation. Depending on Lupinus species, the 2S albumin class consists of two to six proteins.