Changes in lipoxygenase isozymes and trypsin inhibitor activity in soybean during germination at different temperatures

Influence of germination temperature on lipoxygenase isozymes and trypsin inhibitor activity, the two undesirable components in soybean for human consumption, is not yet reported in soybean sprouts. Two Indian soybean genotypes were incubated for 144 h in a seed germinator at two different temperatures (25 and 35 °C) and the activities of lipoxygenase isozymes and trypsin inhibitor were monitored in the germinating seedlings every 24 h. Lipoxygenase-I as well as lipoxygenase-II + III were degraded continuously over the 144 h and the rate of degradation, of both the classes of lipoxygenase, was faster at the higher germinating temperature (35 °C) in both the genotypes. Trypsin inhibitor was also degraded continuously during germination upto 144 h and the degradation was faster at higher germination temperature. Protein extracts of seedlings of different periods, developed at different temperatures, and analyzed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicated that the original Kunitz inhibitor band (Rf = 0.75) declined continuously in intensity during germination at both temperatures in both genotypes, and a new band (Rf = 0.72) possessing trypsin inhibitor activity appeared at 48 h at 35 °C, while it appeared at 72 h at 25 °C. Early appearance of a modified form of Kunitz inhibitor, a degraded product of native form, at 35 °C as compared to 25 °C, confirms that the faster quantitative reduction at higher temperature is due to faster degradation of the original Kunitz inhibitor form at higher temperature.