ISSN 2375-0723
African Journal of Food Science Research ISSN: ISSN 2375-0723 Vol. 4 (2), pp. 011-017, February, 2016. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Effect of processing on hemagglutinin activity of lectin extract from selected green vegetables (Vernonia amygdalina, Gnetum africanum, Petrocarpus soyauxil and Telifera occidentalis)
*Obeta N.A., Ugwuona F. U and Edward Q.A.
Department of Food Science and Technology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.
Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel. 07060787491
Received 20 February, 2016; Accepted 01 April, 2016
Abstract
Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins present in most plants and plant foods. They are toxic, inflammatory, and resistant to cooking and digestive enzymes. In this study, lectins were extracted from Okazi leaf (Gnetum africanum), Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), Fluted pumpkin leaf (Telferia occidentalis), and Oha leaf (Pterocarpus soyauxii). Partial purification of the lectin extracts was achieved by precipitation with ammonium sulphate and the extracts were tested for hemagglutinin activity using 4% suspension of human erythrocytes in lectin buffer. The blood specifity of the different blood groups was observed in the variation of lectins activities in a0, a1 and a2. The hemagglutinin activities of the vegetable lectins decreased slightly at 60°C when exposed to processing (moist heating and oven drying) but at 100°C there was no agglutination activate in Onugbu and Okazi vegetables except in a1 for blood group A and B in fluted pumpkin and Okazi leaves respectively. Loss in agglutinations activity suggest that lectins from these vegetables are heat labile and can be deactivated by moist or dry heating.
Key words: Agglutinations, hemagglutinin , lectins, Vernonia amygdalina, Gnetum africanum, Petrocarpus soyauxil and Telifera occidentalis.