The carbohydrate and protein composition of the endosperm, embryo and testa of the seed of Gleditsia triacanthos

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Abstract
The internal morphology of the seed of Gleditsia triacanthos (Leg.) was microscopically observed and the presence of secondary, lignified cell walls was determined in the testa; the embryo and the endosperm only contained primary cell walls. The analysis of the carbohydrates showed that the endosperm is composed only of galactomannans, with different mannose: galactose ratios. The carbohydrates of the embryo and testa are of two classes: polysaccharides, not extractable by boiling water and oligosaccharides, soluble in 75 % ethanol which, possibly, contain amino acids in their molecule. The amino acid composition of the seed is similar to the composition of the reserve proteins of Leguminosae seed. This happens also with the composition of the water‐insoluble residue of the embryo and with some proteins isolated from the embryo. The amino acid composition of the water‐insoluble residue of the testa showed characteristics of cell wall proteins. The composition of the water‐insoluble residue of the endosperm is intermediate between those mentioned.
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