Identification and Characterization of Indigenous Dietary Plant Lectins

Introduction Lectins are sugar binding proteins of non-immune origin which agglutinate red blood cells. The objectives of the present study were to identify and characterize some indigenous dietary plant lectins which have haemagglutination property with human erythrocytes of varied types. Materials and Methods Twenty four different dietary seeds of leguminosae family were selected, in which fourteen seeds exhibited agglutination activity against any one of the blood groups of human population tested at different level of dilution in the serology laboratory of the department of Physiotherapy, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India. Results The haemagglutination reactions showed weak agglutination of the lectins Celastrus paniculatus, Zea mays and Hordeum vulgare with A blood group, no agglutination of the lectins Dolichous biflorus, Triticum aestivum and Sesamum indicum, weak agglutination of the lectins Celastrus paniculatus and Zea mays with blood group B, weak agglutination of the lectin Lens culinaris with the blood group AB and no agglutination of the lectins Lens culinaris and Dolichous biflorus with the blood O. Conclusion It may be concluded from the findings of the present study that three lectins agglutinated weakly with A blood group, two with B blood group, one with AB blood group, whereas no agglutination was recorded in three lectins with B blood group and two lectins with the O blood group. Thus, lectins can be used for blood groups typing and detection of secretor status.