Antioxidant and biochemical analysis of ceiba pentandra (kapok) seeds

An unconventional Seeds of Ceiba pentandra (Kapok) were analyzed for enzymatic antioxidants, biochemical complexes and protein functionality to assess its potential usage as an alternative source of protein. Buffer extract of seeds had scrutinized for enzymatic antioxidants like Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, peroxidase as well as Glutathione Peroxidase and found to be ample. Total Carbohydrates and Proteins were determined by Phenol Sulphuric acid method and Lowry method, results obtained with the above procedures were 6.5% and 58.5% correspondingly and also the Proteolytic activity was estimated with trypsin as µg of tyrosine liberated in 30 minutes at pH 7.4 and temperature 370 C per ml of enzyme was found to be 275µg/ml. Seed storage protein profiles of Ceiba pentandra seeds studied by Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE),total soluble proteins were resolved on 10% SDS polyacrylamide gels. A total of 13 major protein bands were noticed in seed sample ranging in molecular weight from 31.40 KD to 15.71 KD.