Lectins of Lablab purpureus seeds

A column of chitin was utilized to separate four lectins (hemagglutinating activity) from the seeds of (Lablab purpureus L) Sweet. Two of these activities, which were bound by chitin and were also strongly inhibited by N-aeetyl-D-glucosamine, were differentiated according to their ionic properties: one is a basic (C2-S1) and the other is an acidic (C2-S2) lectin. A third N-acetyl-D-glucosamine binding lectin (Cl-2) is also acidic in nature but showed a lower binding capacity towards this sugar than C2-S2. A fourth lectin (C1-1S2) was strongly inhibited by galactose and has an acidic character. The lectin is formed by subunits of 39000 and 44000 kDa.