Evaluation of non-clinical safety of Wsmol, a chitin binding lectin of Moringa oleifera seeds in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

Previous studies have shown several biotechnological and lectin biomedical activities provided from Moringa oleifera seeds. The Wsmol (water soluble chitin binding lectin) has affinity for n-acetyl-D-glucosamine-glycans present in various cell receptors and it is able to realize many biological activities. This study was conducted to evaluate the nonclinical safety of Wsmol in adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio). The action of Wsmol (1.0 mg / mL; 20 μL; ip) and Vehicle (0.9 % NaCl, 20 μL, ip) on the locomotor activity of adult zebrafish (ZFa; n = 6 / group) was evaluated in the open field test. A naïve group was included. After 24 h of treatments, mortality rate was analyzed and the concentration able to kill 50 % (LC50) of the zebrafish was calculated. Wsmol, active in the physiological environment of Zebrafish did not modify the locomotor activity nor did it prove to be toxic to the animals, suggesting that its lectin activity, although can promote pharmacological activities when recognizing glycans of several ion channels and membrane protein receptors, can not be associated with toxicity or locomotor damage.