A Comparative Study of Secondary Metabolites, Amino acids and Protein Profiles of the Host – Parasite Plants in the Relationship between the African Mistletoe, Tapinanthus bangwensis [Engl. and K. Krause] Danser and Two of its Host species

The presence of secondary metabolites, amino acids and sugar alcohol including protein profile in the host-parasite relations of Tapinanthus bangwensis (Tb) on the host plants, Citrus sinensis (Cs) and Irvingia gabonensis (Ig) were evaluated. Secondary metabolites contained in the host-parasite plants was observed for the Citrus-parasite (tannin - 0.35 Tb, 0.21 Cs; phenol - 0.21 Tb, 0.14 Cs; alkaloids - 1.42 Tb, 0.17 Cs g/100g) and Irvingia-parasite (tannin - 0.23 Tb, 0.18 Ig; phenol - 0.19 Tb, 0.15 Ig; alkaloids - 1.34Tb, 0.57 Ig g/100g) with comparative higher quantities in the parasite. Free amino acids and sugar alcohol contents in the leaves of host plants revealed the constituents of some of the groups in the infested (tyrosine - 12.26 Cs,14.70 Ig; aspartic acid - 12.21 Cs, 11.23 Ig ng/g) and uninfested (tyrosine - 10.76Cs,12.93 Ig; aspartic acid - 9.09 Cs, 9.79 Ig ng/g) which indicated significant higher values for the infested. Protein profiling of the Citrus leaves revealed lack of protein at 25.0 kDa band in the infested host. Assessment of metabolites and protein features in the mistletoe-host relationship affirmed presence of similar metabolites in the host-parasite entity while infested hosts had increased free amino acids and there were noticeable variations in protein banding pattern of host plants with mistletoe incidence