In this work hemagglutinating activity (HA) was investigated in distinct Moringa oleifera tissue extracts. A new lectin from seeds (cMoL) was purified and characterized; hemagglutinating and coagulating activities were evaluated. HA was detected in 0.15 M NaCl extracts from flowers and rachis inflorescence (5%, w/v), seeds, leaves, fundamental tissue of stem and steam bark (10%, w/v). cMoL isolated after saline extraction and guar gel column chromatography was active at pH range 4.0-9.0 agglutinating erythrocytes from rabbit and human blood types. Extracts of tissues and cMoL activities were carbohydrate inhibited; azocasein and asialofetuin abolished cMoL HA. The lectin was thermostable at 100 8C during 7 h. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reduced conditions revealed a main polypeptide band of 26.5 kDa; native basic cMoL was detected as a unique band. Seed lectin preparations and cMoL showed coagulant activity, similar to aluminium sulphate, the coagulant most widely used in water treatment.

No abstract

No abstract

Moringa oleifera Lamarck (Moringaceae family) is a plant native from the Western and sub-Himalayan parts of Northwest India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This species is widely cultivated across Africa, SouthEast Asia, Arabia, South America and Caribbean Islands. M. oleifera culture is also being distributed in the Semi-Arid Northeast of Brazil. It is a multiuse life tree with great environmental economic importance in industrial and medical areas. This review reports different purposes of M. oleifera including sustaining environmental resources, soil protection and shelter for animals. This plant requires not much care and distinct parts have bioactive compounds. Moringa tissues used in human and animal diets, also withdraw pollutants from water. The seeds with Review Article coagulant properties used in water treatment surfactants, heavy metals and pesticides. The oil extracted from seeds is used in cosmetic production and as biodiesel. M. activities, including lectins, chitin-binding protein reported to act as insecticidal agents against yellow fevers) and Anagasta kuehniella antibacterial and blood anticoagulant activities. The presence of trypsin inhibitors has been reported in M. oleifera leaves and flowers. The inhibitor from flowers is toxic to larvae of The flowers also contain caseinolytic proteases that are able to promote clotting of milk. sense, M. oleifera is a promising tree from a biotechnological point of view, since it has shown a great variety of uses and it is a source of several compou activities.

No abstract