Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Draculin infos and synthesis

kazaa81 - 14-11-2004 at 08:34

Hallo to all,
I'm searching for any draculin synthesis...
If anyone know one, please post it, this will be appreciate very much!
Well, info. too, about draculin are welcomed.
I'm referring at draculin, a protein in bats saliva, which has anticoagulant propreties.
I'm not very expert in proteins and amino acids, so draculin can be not synthetisable...I hope it can be synth.!

Thanks at all for help

Esplosivo - 14-11-2004 at 09:49

I don't exactly know what you're speaking about (although I know about the anticoagulant in vampire bats), but proteins have a very complex structure, especially if they are of a high molecular mass (long polypeptide chain). Even more complicated are those which are composed of multiple polypeptide chains. Not only that, but proteins are not only composed of the polypeptide chain but also possess a specific 3-dimensional structure which makes them biologically active. Therefore it seems very difficult to synthesize proteins.

What are you going to use this for? If it is for its anticoagulant properties than you can use other substitues which are extractable from certain plant species, or also sodium citrate, which as far as I know has an anti-coagulant effect on the blood.

Thanks

kazaa81 - 14-11-2004 at 10:08

Thanks very much,
Esplosivo!
Probably I've bad explained my little infos about draculin...
I've read that draculin is a protein in vampire bats with anticoagulant propreties.
I've not any specific use of it, I'm firstly interested to its structure....
As I was thinking, a proteine synthesis is something very difficult....
Sodium citrate....can be a cheap synthesis of it by reacting lemon juice and NaOH? Yield will be low, but one must consider the cheap reactants and the natural source low citric acid content in lemon juice.
And what abot reed anticoagulant parts? I've heard about some parts of normal, not bamboo, reed that has anticoagulant propreties....

Thanks for help ;) ;)
Any information is welcomed!

Esplosivo - 14-11-2004 at 10:19

Citric acid can be easily found at pharmacies. I also find it as a food additive at the supermarkets! It is used for giving a lemon-flavour.

I don't have any knowldege about the contents of such reeds, but certain wild nettles (such as the large-leaved stinging nettle) have a mixture of heparin and histamine, which act as anticoagulant and as a vasodilator respectively, causing the common inflammation. An ethanol solvent extraction could be carried out to obtain a very crude product (containg all sorts of contaminants, such as chlorophylls etc...).

Other infos...

kazaa81 - 16-11-2004 at 13:34

Hallo to all,
I've found that draculin is a glycoprotein formed by 411 amino acids in sequence....the synthesis will be difficult! :o
Ok, I've decided to do not attemp it, but any info. is required and appreciated very much.
What about the anticoagulant mechanism in mosquitos bites?

Thanks at all for help, firstly you, Esplosivo

neutrino - 16-11-2004 at 14:30

If you still want the stuff, you might be able to separate it be chromatography from a natural source.

Esplosivo - 16-11-2004 at 22:10

I don't suppose a natural source of the so called draculin cannot be obtained that easily - capturing one of these bats might proove difficult, don't you think? :P

kazaa81, the mechanism of blood clotting is quite complex, involving a cascade of reactions mainly occuring due to the contact of platelets on to the exposed collagen at the wound. This site gives quite a detailed view of how the process occurs, also showing the blood clotting cascade in humans. Usually anticoagulants interfere in some way or otjer (there are various possible interactions) so that the clotting factors are not activated, inhibting the formation of Fibrin.

The anticoagulants in mosquito bites will probably involve some protein too, probably as complicated as the one discussed previously, or more. Because of the 'ease' of extraction I advise you to extract such anticoagulants from plants.

Edit: Found something on the action of draculin. The abstract on this site states that draculin is an inhibitor of the noncompetitive type, which affects the activated Factor X in clotting mechanism.

[Edited on 17-11-2004 by Esplosivo]

Plants with anticoagulant propreties...

kazaa81 - 20-11-2004 at 13:54

Hallo to all,
does anyone tell me some plants with
anticoagulant propreties?
Extraction with ethanol can be suitable from interested parts of the plant?

Thanks for help ;)

Esplosivo - 21-11-2004 at 01:40

There are various plants which possess anticoagulant chemicals, such as certain species of stinging-nettle, which have trichomes (hairs of the surface of the leaf) which break when a body hits them, releasing heparin and histamine causing an inflammation, as described previously - this they use as a defense mechanism.

Below is a list of plants, most of which are quite common, which contain anticoagulant chemicals - actually there are two lists, one stating the conc of the anticoagulant and the other stating the number of anticoagulant chemicals present. The quote was taken from this site.
Quote:

Concentration of Chemicals in Plants with Anticoagulant Activity

Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) Fruit - 340,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Citrus mitis (Calamansi) Fruit - 281,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Ananas comosus (Pineapple) Fruit - 172,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Euphorbia tirucalli (Aveloz) Plant - 148,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Citrus limon (Lemon) Fruit - 119,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Carica papaya (Papaya) Latex Exudate - 106,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Solanum nigrum (Black Nightshade) Leaf - 100,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Ribes nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit - 97,600 ppm total [2 chemical(s)]
Solanum sessiliflorum (Cocona) Fruit - 80,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Citrus mitis (Calamansi) Fruit Juice - 55,200 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Passiflora edulis (Maracuya) Fruit - 45,600 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Physalis peruviana (Cape Gooseberry) Fruit - 44,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit - 42,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Ribes rubrum (Red Currant) Fruit - 40,400 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Rosa canina (Rose) Fruit - 30,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Garcinia mangostana (Mangosteen) Fruit - 27,815 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Glycine max (Soybean) Seed - 26,000 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Camellia sinensis (Tea) Leaf - 25,400 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Punica granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Juice - 24,600 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]
Citrus reticulata (Mandarin) Fruit - 24,400 ppm total [1 chemical(s)]

Number of Chemicals in Plants with Anticoagulant Activity

Carica papaya (Papaya) Fruit - 2 chemicals
Daucus carota (Carrot) Root - 2 chemicals
Ribes nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit - 2 chemicals
Ribes uva-crispa (Gooseberry) Fruit - 2 chemicals
Salvia miltiorrhiza (Dan-Shen) Root - 2 chemicals
Vaccinium vitis-iddaea var. minus (Cowberry) Fruit - 2 chemicals
Vitis vinifera (Grape) Fruit - 2 chemicals
Acacia decurrens (Green Wattle) Plant - 1 chemicals
Acacia nilotica (Babul) Plant - 1 chemicals
Aconitum napellus (European Aconite) Plant - 1 chemicals
Adonis vernalis (Spring Adonis) Plant - 1 chemicals
Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Bark - 1 chemicals
Allium cepa (Onion) Bulb - 1 chemicals
Allium schoenoprasum (Chives) Leaf - 1 chemicals
Alocasia macrorrhiza (Giant Taro) Plant - 1 chemicals
Ammi majus (Bishop's Weed) Seed - 1 chemicals
Anabasis aphylla (Anabasis) Plant - 1 chemicals
Ananas comosus (Pineapple) Fruit - 1 chemicals
Annona muricata (Soursop) Plant - 1 chemicals
Annona squamosa (Sugar-Apple) Plant - 1 chemicals
Apium graveolens (Celery) Pt - 1 chemicals