Dietary Lectins: Gastrointestinal and Immune Effects

Sharon N. History of lectins: From hemagglutinins to biological recognition molecules. Glycobiology, 2004; 14:53R–62R.

Lannoo N , Van Damme EJM . Lectin domains at the frontiers of plant defense. Front Plant Sci, 2014; 5:397.

Peumans WJ , Van Damme EJM . Lectins as plant defense proteins. Plant Physiol, 1995; 109:347–352.

De Hov PL , Brill LM , Hirsch AM . Plant lectins: The ties that bind in root symbiosis and plant defense. Mol Genet Genomics, 2009; 282:1–15.

Saha RK , Hossain S , Tuhin M , et al. Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of a food lectin isolated from the seeds of Lablab purpureous . Am J Ethnomedicine, 2014; 1:8–17.

Van Buul VJ , Brouns FJPH . Health effects of wheat lectins: A review. J Cereal Sci, 2014; 59:112–117.

Shi L , Arntfield SD , Nickerson M . Changes in levels of phytic acid, lectins and oxalates during soaking and cooking of Canadian pulses. Food Res Int, 2018; 107:660–668.

de Punder K , Pruimboom L . The dietary intake of wheat and other cereal grains and their role in inflammation. Nutrients, 2013; 5:771–787.

Köttgen E , Kluge F , Volk B , et al. The lectin properties of gluten as the basis of the pathomechanism of gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Klin Wochenschr, 1983; 61:111–112.

Kolberg J , Sollid L . Lectin activity of gluten identified as wheat germ agglutinin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1985; 130:867–872.

Costa S , Currò G , Pellegrino S , et al. Case report on pathogenetic link between gluten and IgA nephropathy. BMC Gastroenterol, 2018; 18:64.

Hamid R , Masood A . Dietary lectins as disease causing toxicants. Pakistan J Nutr, 2009; 8:293–303.

Nachbar MS , Oppenheim JD . Lectins in the United States diet: A survey of lectins in commonly consumed foods and a review of the literature. Am J Clin Nutr, 1980; 33:2338–2345.

Peumans WJ , Van Damme EJM . Prevalence, biological activity and genetic manipulation of lectins in foods. Trends Food Sci Technol, 1996; 7:132–138.

Brady PG , Vannier AM , Banwell JG . Identification of the dietary lectin, wheat germ agglutinin, in human intestinal contents. Gastroenterology, 1978; 75:236–239.

Mubarak AE. Nutritional composition and antinutritional factors of mung bean seeds (Phaseolus aureus) as affected by some home traditional processes. Food Chem, 2005; 89:489–495.

Shimelis EA , Rakshit SK . Effect of processing on antinutrients and in vitro protein digestibility of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties grown in East Africa. Food Chem, 2007; 103:161–172.

Nciri N , Cho N , El Mhamdi F , et al. Toxicity assessment of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) widely consumed by Tunisian population. J Med Food, 2015; 18:1049–1064.

Nyombaire G , Siddiq M , Dolan K . Effect of soaking and cooking on the oligosaccharides and lectins of red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Bean Improv Coop Annu Rep, 2007; 50:31–32.

Luo Y-W , Xie W-H . Effect of different processing methods on certain antinutritional factors and protein digestibility in green and white faba bean (Vicia faba L.). CyTA J Food, 2012; 11:43–49.

Rhodes JM , Milton JD , Pusztai A , et al. Assessment of lectin inactivation by heat and digestion. In: Hirabayashi J, ed. Lectin Methods and Protocols. New York: Humana Press, 2003:505–514.

Reddy NR , Pierson MD . Reduction in antinutritional and toxic components in plant foods by fermentation. Food Res Int, 1994; 27:281–290.

Cuadrado C , Hajos G , Burbano C , et al. Effect of natural fermentation on the lectin of lentils measured by immunological methods. Food Agric Immunol, 2002; 14:41–49.

Paucar-Menacho LM , Berhow MA , Mandarino JMG , et al. Optimisation of germination time and temperature on the concentration of bioactive compounds in Brazilian soybean cultivar BRS 133 using response surface methodology. Food Chem, 2010; 119:636–642.

Savelkoul FH , Tamminga S , Leenaars PP , et al. The degradation of lectins, phaseolin and trypsin inhibitors during germination of white kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L. Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 1994; 45:213–222.

Freed DLJ. Do dietary lectins cause disease?. BMJ, 1999; 318:1023–1024.

Ramadass B , Dokladny K , Moseley PL , et al. Sucrose co-administration reduces the toxic effect of lectin on gut permeability and intestinal bacterial colonization. Dig Dis Sci, 2010; 55:2778–2784.

Zárate G , Perez Chaia A . Dairy bacteria remove in vitro dietary lectins with toxic effects on colonic cells. J Appl Microbiol, 2009; 106:1050–1057.

Noah ND , Bender AE , Reaidi GB , et al. Food poisoning from raw red kidney beans. Br Med J, 1980; 281:236–237.

Kik MJ , Rojer JM , Mouwen JM , et al. The interaction between plant lectins and the small intestinal epithelium: A primary cause of intestinal disturbance. Vet Q, 1989; 11:108–115.

Pusztai A , Greer F , Grant G . Specific uptake of dietary lectins into the systemic circulation of rats. Biochem Soc Trans, 1989; 17:481–482.

Wang Q , Yu LG , Campbell BJ , et al. Identification of intact peanut lectin in peripheral venous blood. Lancet, 1998; 352:1831–1832.

Banwell JG , Howard R , Kabir I , et al. Bacterial overgrowth in indigenous microflora in the phytohemagglutinin-fed rat. Can J Microbiol, 1988; 34:1009–1013.

Makizaki Y , Maeda A , Oikawa Y , et al. Probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 ameliorates phytohemagglutinin-induced diarrhea caused by intestinal dysbiosis. Microbiol Immunol, 2019; 63:481–486.

Nciri N , Cho N . New research highlights: Impact of chronic ingestion of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Beldia) on small-intestinal disaccharidase activity in Wistar rats. Toxicol Reports, 2018; 5:46–55.

Greer F , Pusztai A . Toxicity of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in rats: Changes in intestinal permeability. Digestion, 1985; 32:42–46.

Kordás K , Szalmay G , Bardocz S , et al. Phytohaemagglutinin inhibits gastric acid but not pepsin secretion in conscious rats. J Physiol Paris, 2001; 95:309–314.

Nciri N , Cho N , Bergaoui N , et al. Effect of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Beldia) on small intestine morphology and function in Wistar rats. J Med Food, 2015; 18:1387–1399.

Sjölander A , Magnusson KE , Latkovic S . The effect of Concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin on the ultrastructure and permeability of rat intestine: A possible model for an intestinal allergic reaction. Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 1984; 75:230–236.

Gong T , Wang X , Yang Y , et al. Plant lectins activate the NLRP3 inflammasome to promote inflammatory disorders. J Immunol, 2017; 198:2082–2092.

Hannani D , Vétizou M , Enot D , et al. Anticancer immunotherapy by CTLA-4 blockade: Obligatory contribution of IL-2 receptors and negative prognostic impact of soluble CD25. Cell Res, 2015; 25:208–224.

Watzl B , Neudecker C , Hänsch GM , et al. Dietary wheat germ agglutinin modulates ovalbumin-induced immune responses in Brown Norway rats. Br J Nutr, 2001; 85:483–490.

Kelley N , Jeltema D , Duan Y , et al. The NLRP3 inflammasome: An overview of mechanisms of activation and regulation. Int J Mol Sci, 2019; 20:3328.

Lefevre M , Jonnalagadda S . Effect of whole grains on markers of subclinical inflammation. Nutr Rev, 2012; 70:387–396.

Xu Y , Wan Q , Feng J , et al. Whole grain diet reduces systemic inflammation. Medicine (Baltimore), 2018; 97:e12995.

Cordain L , Toohey L , Smith MJ , et al. Modulation of immune function by dietary lectins in rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Nutr, 2000; 83:207–217.

Lambert J , Vojdani A . Correlation of tissue antibodies and food immune reactivity in randomly selected patient specimens. J Clin Cell Immunol, 2017; 8:1–10.

Sigdel TK , Woo SH , Dai H , et al. Profiling of autoantibodies in IgA nephropathy, an integrative antibiomics approach. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol, 2011; 6:2775–2784.

Coppo R , Amore A , Roccatelbo Coppo D , et al. Dietary antigens and primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy. J Am Soc Nephrol, 1992; 2:S173–S180.

Coppo R , Basolo B , Rollino C , et al. Mediterranean diet and primary IgA nephropathy. Clin Nephrol, 1986; 26:72–82.

Coppo R , Amore A , Roccatello D , et al. IgA antibodies to dietary antigens and lectin-binding IgA in sera from Italian, Australian, and Japanese IgA nephropathy patients. Am J Kidney Dis, 1991; 17:480–487.

Rademacher TW , Williams P , Dwek RA . Agalactosyl glycoforms of IgG autoantibodies are pathogenic. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1994; 91:6123–6127.

Gudelj I , Salo PP , Trbojević-Akmačić I , et al. Low galactosylation of IgG associates with higher risk for future diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis during 10 years of follow-up. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis, 2018; 1864:2034–2039.

Ercan A , Cui J , Chatterton DEW , et al. Aberrant IgG galactosylation precedes disease onset, correlates with disease activity, and is prevalent in autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum, 2010; 62:2239–2248.

Schwedler C , Häupl T , Kalus U , et al. Hypogalactosylation of immunoglobulin G in rheumatoid arthritis: Relationship to HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, anticitrullinated protein antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and correlation with inflammatory activity. Arthritis Res Ther, 2018; 20:44.

Basset C , Dueymes M , Devauchelle V , et al. Changes in glycosylation of immunoglobulins in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Ann Med Interne (Paris), 1998; 149:42–44.

Yuan S , Li Q , Zhang Y , et al. Changes in anti-thyroglobulin IgG glycosylation patterns in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2015; 100:717–724.

Bond A , Kerr MA , Hay FC . Distinct oligosaccharide content of rheumatoid arthritis-derived immune complexes. Arthritis Rheum, 1995; 38:744–749.

Badsha H. Role of diet in influencing rheumatoid arthritis disease activity. Open Rheumatol J, 2018; 12:19–28.

Shikhman AR , Amiel D , D'Lima D , et al. Chondroprotective activity of N-acetylglucosamine in rabbits with experimental osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis, 2005; 64:89–94.

Azuma K , Osaki T , Wakuda T , et al. Suppressive effects of n-acetyl-d-glucosamine on rheumatoid arthritis mouse models. Inflammation, 2012; 35:1462–1465.

Richter J , Čapková K , Hříbalová V , et al. Collagen-induced arthritis: Severity and immune response attenuation using multivalent N-acetyl glucosamine. Clin Exp Immunol, 2014; 177:121–133.

Dhanoa H. Probiotics for the management of rheumatoid arthritis. In: Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Arthritis and Related Inflammatory Diseases. London: Elsevier, 2019:23–35.

Khanna S , Jaiswal KS , Gupta B . Managing rheumatoid arthritis with dietary interventions. Front Nutr, 2017; 4:52.

Jandú JJB , Moraes Neto RN , Zagmignan A , et al. Targeting the immune system with plant lectins to combat microbial infections. Front Pharmacol, 2017; 8:671.

Souza MA , Carvalho FC , Ruas LP , et al. The immunomodulatory effect of plant lectins: A review with emphasis on ArtinM properties. Glycoconj J, 2013; 30:641–657.

Bhutia SK , Panda PK , Sinha N , et al. Plant lectins in cancer therapeutics: Targeting apoptosis and autophagy-dependent cell death. Pharmacol Res, 2019; 144:8–18.

Rhodes JM. Beans means lectins. Gut, 1999; 44:594–595.

Theodoratou E , Thaçi K , Agakov F , et al. Glycosylation of plasma IgG in colorectal cancer prognosis. Sci Rep, 2016; 15:28098.

Very N , Lefebvre T , El Yazidi-Belkoura I . Drug resistance related to aberrant glycosylation in colorectal cancer. Oncotarget, 2018; 9:1380–1402.

Pinho SS , Reis CA . Glycosylation in cancer: Mechanisms and clinical implications. Nat Rev Cancer, 2015; 15:540–555.

Hassan MAA , Rouf R , Tiralongo E , et al. Mushroom lectins: Specificity, structure and bioactivity relevant to human disease. Int J Mol Sci, 2015; 16:7802–7838.

Müthing J , Meisen I , Kniep B , et al. Tumor-associated CD75s gangliosides and CD75s-bearing glycoproteins with Neu5Acα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAc-residues are receptors for the anticancer drug rViscumin. FASEB J, 2005; 19:103–105.

Zwierzina H , Bergmann L , Fiebig H , et al. The preclinical and clinical activity of aviscumine: A potential anticancer drug. Eur J Cancer, 2011; 47:1450–1457.

Marvibaigi M , Supriyanto E , Amini N , et al. Preclinical and clinical effects of mistletoe against breast cancer. Biomed Res Int, 2014; 2014:785479.

Lavanya V , Adil AM , Ahmed N , et al. Lectins-the promising cancer therapeutics. Oncobiol Targets, 2014; 1:12–12.

Winham DM , Hutchins AM , Johnston CS . Pinto bean consumption reduces biomarkers for heart disease risk. J Am Coll Nutr, 2007; 26:243–249.

Jenkins DJA , Kendall CWC , Augustin LSA , et al. Effect of legumes as part of a low glycemic index diet on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med, 2012; 172:1653–1660.

Dahm CC , Keogh RH , Spencer EA , et al. Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer risk: A nested case-control study using food diaries. [Erratum appears in J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011 Oct5; 103(19):1484]. J Natl Cancer Inst 2010; 103(19):614–626.

Lanza E , Hartman TJ , Albert PS , et al. High dry bean intake and reduced risk of advanced colorectal adenoma recurrence among participants in the polyp prevention trial. J Nutr, 2006; 136:1896–1903.

Mills PK , Beeson WL , Phillips RL , et al. Cohort study of diet, lifestyle, and prostate cancer in adventist men. Cancer, 1989; 64:598–604.

Kolonel LN , Hankin JH , Whittemore AS , et al. Vegetables, fruits, legumes and prostate cancer: A multiethnic case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2000; 9:795–804.

Yarnell E. Proposed biomolecular theory of fasting during fevers due to infection. Altern Med Rev, 2001; 6:482–487.

Lee-Kwan SH , Moore L V. , Blanck HM , et al. Disparities in state-specific adult fruit and vegetable consumption—United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2017; 66:1241–1247.