Variation in Antimicrobial Activity and Seed Storage Proteins in Three Species of the Medicinal Plant Alstonia

Abstract

The family Apocynaceae comprises three species of the substantially important Alstonia plant, viz., A. scholaris, A. venenata, and A. macrophylla. The investigation of proteins contained within seeds, that has the potential to provide both precise details and a structural basis for characterizing diversity. The utilization of an electrophoretic technique for protein analysis has been observed in recent scholarly investigations. This implies that certain protein bands exhibit variability, with their presence or absence being detected across different seed arrangement levels in the gel. Furthermore, this implies that the protein bands have been segregated into distinct categories. A study was conducted to analyze the seed storage protein profiles of three distinct Alstonia species through the application of sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The resolution of the seed storage protein of the Alstonia species using 15% SDS was found to alter the banding pattern of the polyacrylamide gel. The SDS-PAGE analysis revealed differential up regulation of proteins across distinct bands. Throughout the examination, it was determined that the three aforementioned species exhibited acommon band, in addition to a protein with a molecular weight of 34 kDa. The number of protein bands attached to A. venenata was the highest (ten bands), while the number of protein bands that adhered to A. scholaris was the lowest (five bands). Further, powdered leaves of A. scholaris, A. venenata, and A. macrophylla were investigated for antibacterial and the results, A. macrophylla leaf powder is most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, followed by A. venenata and A. scholaris at 1 μg/ mL. In addition, the findings support the inference that the A. scholaris leaf powder effectively inhibited the growth of Aspergillus niger. A. venenata and A. macrophylla, both at 1μg/mL, are, nonetheless, also effective against A. niger. A. macrophylla has the largest zone of inhibition (11.5 mm) against A. niger.