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The toxicity of Jack bean ( Canavalia ensiformis ) cotyledon and seed coat proteins to the cowpea weevil ( Callosobruchus maculatus )
Author(s) -
Oliveira Antônia Elenir A.,
Sales Maurício P.,
Machado Olga Lima T.,
Fernandes Kátia Valevski S.,
XavierFilho José
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1046/j.1570-7458.1999.00544.x
Subject(s) - canavalia ensiformis , callosobruchus maculatus , biology , vicilin , coat , weevil , legume , cotyledon , storage protein , botany , radicle , pest analysis , germination , horticulture , biochemistry , paleontology , gene
The seeds of the Jack bean, Canavalia ensiformis (L) DC are known to contain several toxic substances that prevent their utilisation as food for humans and animals. The lectin concanavalin A and the enzyme urease are the best known of these proteins. We have found that many proteins present in the seeds of the Jack bean, like trypsin inhibitors and canatoxin, are detrimental to the development of the bruchid insect Callosobruchus maculatus (F) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). Among these proteins, canavalin (vicilin, 7S globulin) was found to be expressed in the seed coat. We suggest that seed coat canavalin, in addition to other detrimental proteins expressed in this tissue, may have been of importance in the evolutionary discrimination of the seeds of this legume by non‐pest bruchids.