Vicia palaestina Boiss. is an annual herb that grows in dry areas of eastern Mediterranean countries. It belongs to section Cracca subgenus Vicilla, which is characterized by having a high content in the non-protein amino acid canavanine. The seeds from some of these vetches are also rich in lectins. The purification and characterization of a single-chain lectin from the seeds of V. palaestina is described here. This lectin was the most abundant protein in albumin extracts. It has affinity for the glycoconjugate N-acetylgalactosamine and inhibits proliferation of the cancerous Caco-2 and THP-1 cell lines. In addition to their high nutritional value, the seeds from V. palaestina represent a source of lectins with health promoting and pharmacological potential because of their antiproliferative activity.
Keywords: N-acetylgalactosamine; V. palaestina; antiproliferative activity; seed lectin.
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