Abstract
Stillmark reported in 1888 that castor bean extracts were able to agglutinate red blood cells from different species [1]. The seed extracts were found to contain haemagglutinating proteins, defined as agglutinins. Haemagglutinins are now known as lectins, a term proposed many years ago. Lectins are a very heterogeneous group of proteins of non-immune origin and have gone through several definition steps resulting in lesser strictness over the years. Some years ago, Van Damme defined lectins as: “carbohydrate-binding proteins possessing at least one non-catalytic domain, which bind reversibly to a specific mono- or oligosaccharide” [2]. The continuous discovery of new and diverse lectins with similarities found in several different classes of proteins seems to call for even less strict definitions in the future. Maybe the most accurate lectin definition would simply be: “proteins that specifically bind or cross-bind carbohydrates”. Lectins are becoming more and more interesting as components of our diet, and it is interesting to note that in the U.S. News and World Report of 2020 the Mediterranean diet has been named as the best overall healthy diet [3]. The diet is well-known for its high content of vegetables, fruits and nuts and whole grains. This review examines our current knowledge of its importance for the Mediterranean diet.
Highlights
Lectins are widespread in the plant kingdom, occurring in seeds and all kinds of vegetative tissues, and often take part in the plants defence system against predators such as insects, worms etc [4]
Due to the homology between plant and animal lectins, it is likely that the dietary plant lectins to some extent can mimic and amplify the effects normally exerted by their lectin counterparts produced by the animals themselves
The results showed that both these lectins could prevent gastrointestinal atrophy that arose as a result of parenteral nutrition
Summary
Lectins are widespread in the plant kingdom, occurring in seeds and all kinds of vegetative tissues, and often take part in the plants defence system against predators such as insects, worms etc [4]. Lectins are widespread in the plant kingdom (fruits, nuts, vegetables), occurring in seeds and all kinds of vegetative tissues, and often take part in the plants defence system against predators such as insects, worms etc. As biologically active proteins some are able to modify and sometimes improve gut function and body metabolism, and can improve health status. It is evident that to ensure long-term good health the diet needs to have an adequate content of plant lectins
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More From: American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research
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