The literature concerning the effects of plant lectins on the small intestinal epithelium is reviewed. It appears that after oral intake, intact plant lectins can reach the small intestinal lumen. Their binding to the mucosal surface evokes an increased synthesis of glycoproteins and a degeneration of the intestinal epithelium. The epithelial alterations may result in hyperregenerative villus atrophy and endogenous nitrogen loss. These changes ultimately can lead to less efficient feed conversion, diminished growth, scouring, wasting and death. The possible significance of plant lectins in digestive disturbances in farm animals is suggested.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01652176.1989.9694207 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Nishi, Gakuen-Kibanadai, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan.
The ligand-docking behavior of hevein, the major latex protein from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis (Euphorbiaceae), has been investigated by the unguided molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. An oligosaccharide molecule, initially placed in an arbitrary position, was allowed to move around hevein for a prolonged simulation time, on the order of microseconds, with the expectation of spontaneous ligand docking of the oligosaccharide molecule to the binding site of hevein. In the binary solution system consisting of a hevein molecule and a chito-trisaccharide (GlcNAc) molecule, three out of the six separate simulation runs successfully reproduced the complex structure of the observed binding from.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Production System Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland, 31600 Jokioinen, Finland.
Stinging nettle () is an herbaceous perennial plant native to Eurasia, wildly distributed throughout the temperate parts of the world. Although generally considered as a weed due to its fast growth and invasive capacity, stinging nettle is well suited to cultivation and is currently experiencing a revival as a beneficial crop due to its numerous potential applications. This interest reflects in an increasing number of scientific articles related to nettle in the last years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Drugs
December 2024
Biotechnology Unit, University of Ribeirão Preto/UNAERP, Ribeirão Preto 14096-900, SP, Brazil.
Lectins are non-covalent glycan-binding proteins found in all living organisms, binding specifically to carbohydrates through glycan-binding domains. Lectins have various biological functions, including cell signaling, molecular recognition, and innate immune responses, which play multiple roles in the physiological and developmental processes of organisms. Moreover, their diversity enables biotechnological exploration as biomarkers, biosensors, drug-delivery platforms, and lead molecules for anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiscov Med
January 2025
Department of General Surgery, Section for Day Surgery, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University & The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu, Chongqing Medical University, 610031 Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an autoimmune disease accompanied by an autoimmune inflammatory response that often leads to severe liver damage. In addition, it may further lead to complications such as liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver failure. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) possesses various pharmacological properties, such as being anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarbohydr Polym
March 2025
Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan. Electronic address:
Starch-derived hydrophilic malto-oligosaccharides (Glc, where n = 1-7) conjugated to hydrophobic solanesol through click chemistry, i.e., Glc-b-Sol copolymers, have demonstrated significant promise in developing fully natural block co-oligomers for solid-state nanopatterning applications.
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