A Novel Antifungal Protein with Lysozyme-Like Activity from Seeds of Clitoria ternatea

An antifungal protein with a molecular mass of 14.3 kDa was isolated from the seeds of butterfly pea ( Clitoria ternatea ) and designated as Ct protein. The antifungal protein was purified using different methods including ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 column. Ct protein formed a single colourless rod-shaped crystal by hanging drop method after 7 days of sample loading. The protein showed lytic activity against Micrococcus luteus and broad-spectrum, fungicidal activity, particularly against the most clinically relevant yeasts, such as Cryptococcus neoformans , Cryptococcus albidus , Cryptococcus laurentii , Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. It also exerted an inhibitory activity on mycelial growth in several mould species including Curvularia sp., Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus flavus , Aspergillus fumigatus , Aspergillus niger , Rhizopus sp., and Sclerotium sp. The present study adds to the literature on novel seed proteins with antifungal activity.