Properties of protein constituents of black locust bark

The total protein content of black locust bark increased in December, remained at an elevated level throughout the winter and spring, and decreased in June. Hemagglutinating activity of lectin in the bark did not follow this pattern but increased to a maximum in February and decreased in March. Lectin may be involved in protein storage as others have suggested, but the role of its ability to bind carbohydrates is not evident. A role for lectin as a protective compound could not be assigned because lectin extracts did not inhibit bacterial or fungal growth even though they affected fungal growth characteristics. Chitinase activity, however, was present in black locust inner bark at a concentration which inhibited fungal growth in vitro