Leguminosae Lectins as Biological Tools in Medical Research: a Review

Abstract

Lectins were discovered first in plants and later in other living things, and nowadays it is known that they are present in almost all many life forms. These proteins can bind to specific carbohydrates, which make them perform a number of biological activities and can be used as tools in the study of glycoconjugate structures present on the cell surface, being effective in medical research. Plant lectins, leguminosae lectins particularly, are among the most studied plant proteins. They are very versatile molecules, which show several interesting biological properties. Thus, the present paper reviewed the advances about the leguminosae lectins biological properties studies in the last ten years, taking into account their possible applications in the fields of Clinical Microbiology, Pharmacy and Cancerology through a search in the electronic databases, providing opportunity to exchange information about the theme. Leguminosae lectins can neutralize pathogenic organisms, be they viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes, in addition carcinogenic cells, besides decreasing oxidative stress, conditions which increases the possibility of alternative substances for the design of new drugs to be used in current therapeutic, expanding the possibilities of diseases cure. HIGHLIGHTS Leguminous lectins are proteins found in various parts of leguminous plants. Leguminous lectins are versatile in the carbohydrate binding specificity. Leguminous lectins have antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiproliferative features. Leguminous lectins are promising molecules for the design of new drugs.

Antimicrobial Activities and Phylogenetic Study of Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae) Seed lectin

“…Corresponding bioactivities of ESL have also been reported in lactose-binding lectins from Chondrilla caribensis and Bufo arenarum (Sánchez Riera et al, 2003 ; Marques et al, 2018 ). This suggests that the antibacterial and antifungal activities of ESL might be related to its sugar specificity, as legume lectins are emerging as promising molecules for designing novel therapeutics (Barbosa et al, 2021 ).…”

Plant lectins as prospective antiviral biomolecules in the search for COVID-19 eradication strategies

“…Such antiviral lectins have extensively been evaluated in-vitro for their neutralization effects on different enveloped viruses including coronaviruses and HIV [13] , because lectins can interfere with the virus entry and inhibit the viral proteins production [14] . Lectins have also been used as glyco-analytical tools in the development of biosensors for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and detection of viral pathogens [15] . Example includes, Concanavalin A (ConA) lectin can recognize the structural glycoproteins of the arboviruses [16] .…”

Purification, Partial Characterization, and Evaluation of the Antiulcer Activity of Calotropis procera Leaf Lectin

“…Due to their carbohydrate recognition capacities, they can trigger a variety of effects but not limited to such as; bactericidal, bacteriostatic, antiviral, anticancer, antiulcer, involvement in molecular trafficking, receptor activation, etc. [ 1 , 2 ]. Lectins have provided scientists with a valuable biological tool in the characterization and purification of varieties of glycans and glycoconjugates [ 3 ].…”

“…have been shown to exhibit several degrees of antiulcer activity [ 9 , 14 ]. While plant proteins and peptides are proven, many years ago, to possess antibacterial and anticancer activities [ 1 ], very few have been investigated for a possible protective role against gastric ulcers [ 15 , 16 ]. Calotropis gigantea ethanolic leaf extract at a concentration below 300 mg/kg prevented gastric hemorrhage in animals administered with absolute ethanol [ 8 ].…”