Study of Edible Lectins in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Lectins with carbohydrate specificity have been purified from various plant tissues and other organisms. Objectives of the present study were to identify and characterize some indigenous edible lectins which have hemagglutination property with erythrocytes of various types in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: Thirteen different dietary seeds of leguminosae family were selected, in which ten seed extracts exhibited agglutination activity against any one of the blood groups of patients with diabetes mellitus tested at different level of dilution in the serology laboratory of the institute. Results: The hemagglutination reaction showed agglutination of the lectins Cicer arietinumm, Phaselous vulgaris, Lens culinaris, Helianthus annus, Abrus precatorius, Glycine max, Dolichus biflarus, Salvia hispanica and Brassica nigra with bolld group A. Lectin Nigella sativa showed no reaction with blood group A in patients with type 2 diabetic disease. The lectins Glycine max, Dolichus biflarus, Abrus precatorius, Brassica nigra, Nigella sativa, Helianthus annus and Phaselous vulgaris reacted with blood group B. Lectin Cicer arietinum, Lens culinaris and Salvia hispanica showed no reaction with blood group B in patients with type 2 diabetic disease. Lectins Helianthus annus, Nigella sativa, Phaselous vulgaris, Glycine max, Abrus precatorius, Dolichus biflarus and Brassica nigra reacted with AB blood group. Lectins Cicer arietinum, Lens culinaris and Silvia hispanica showed no reaction with blood group AB in patients with type 2 diabetic disease. Lectins Glycine max, Abrus precatorius, Silvia hispanica, Brassica nigra, Nigella sativa and Phaselous vulgaris reacted with diabetic O blood group. Lectins Dolichus biflarus, Cicer arietinum and Lens culinaris showed no reaction with blood group O in patients with type 2 diabetic disease. Conclusion: From the findings of the present study, it has been found the certain lectins reacted with the erythrocytes of diabetic patients differently.