Abstract:

Effects of different reagents, dosages, concentrations, and reduction reagent concentrations on kafirin extraction from -Sorghum bicolor-were investigated. Measurements of protein concentration and the sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that 60% τbutanol plus 4% DTT at a sample-weight to extraction-solution ratio of 1∶8 (g/mL) was optimum for kafirin extraction. Other sorghum species' alcoholsolute protein (prolamin) were extracted under this condition. It is concluded that, by studying the protein “fingerprint”, different sorghum species can be discriminated from each other.

Key words: extraction, kafirin, sorghum