Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T15:27:28.546Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Antinutritive effects of wheat-germ agglutinin and other N-acetylglucosamine-specific lectins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

A. Pusztai ,
S. W. B. Ewen ,
G. Grant ,
D. S. Brown ,
J. C. Stewart ,
W. J. Peumans ,
E. J. M. Van Damme  and
S. Bardocz
A. Pusztai
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
S. W. B. Ewen
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2ZX
G. Grant
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
D. S. Brown
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
J. C. Stewart
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
W. J. Peumans
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
E. J. M. Van Damme
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
S. Bardocz
Affiliation:
The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Incorporation of N-acetylglucosamine-specific agglutinins from wheat germ (Triticum aestivum; WGA), thorn apple (Datura stramonium) or nettle (Urtica dioica) rhizomes in the diet at the level of 7 g/kg reduced the apparent digestibility and utilization of dietary proteins and the growth of rats, with WGA being the most damaging. As a result of their binding and endocytosis by the epithelial cells of the small intestine, all three lectins were growth factors for the gut and interfered with its metabolism and function to varying degrees. WGA was particularly effective; it induced extensive polyamine-dependent hyperplastic and hypertrophic growth of the small bowel by increasing its content of proteins, RNA and DNA. Furthermore, an appreciable portion of the endocytosed WGA was transported across the gut wall into the systemic circulation, where it was deposited in the walls of the blood and lymphatic vessels. WGA also induced the hypertrophic growth of the pancreas and caused thymus atrophy. Although the transfer of the gene of WGA into crop plants has been advocated to increase their insect resistance, as the presence of this lectin in the diet may harm higher animals at the concentrations required to be effective against most pests, its use in plants as natural insecticide is not without health risks for man.

Keywords

LectinsAntinutrientsSmall intestineRatInsect resistance
Type
Nutritional Effects of Biologically Active Components of Plants
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 70 , Issue 1 , July 1993 , pp. 313 - 321
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1993

References

REFERENCES

Boulter, D., Gatehouse, A. M. R. & Hilder, V. A. (1989). Engineering insect resistance into crop plants. Pesticide Science 26, 103–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broekaert, W. F., Lambrechts, D., Verbelen, J. P. & Peumans, W. J. (1988). Datura stramonium agglutinin. Location in the seed and release upon inhibition. Plant Physiology 86, 569–574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Czapla, T. H. & Lang, B. A. (1990). Effect of plant lectins on the larval development of European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Southern Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 83, 2480–2485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davidson, J., Mathieson, J. & Boyne, A. W. (1970). The use of automation in determining nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method, with final calculations by computer. Analyst 95, 181–193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huesing, J. E., Murdock, L. L. & Shade, R. E. (1991 a). Effect of wheat germ isolectins on development of cowpea weevil. Phytochemistry 30, 785–788.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huesing, J. E., Murdock, L. L. & Shade, R. E. (1991 b). Rice and stinging nettle lectins; insecticidal activity similar to wheat germ agglutinin. Phytochemsitry 30, 3565–3568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lovtrup, S. (1962). Chemical determination of DNA in animal tissues. Acta Biochimica Polonica 9, 411–424.Google Scholar
Murdock, L. L., Huesing, J. E., Nielsen, S. S., Pratt, R. C. & Shade, R. E. (1990). Biological effects of plant lectins on the cowpea weevil. Phytochemistry 29, 85–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peumans, W. J., De Ley, M. & Broekaert, W. F. (1984). An unusual lectin from stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) rhizomes. FEBS Letters 177, 99–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peumans, W. J., Stinissen, H. M. & Carlier, A. R. (1982). Isolation and partial characterization of wheat-germ- agglutinin-like lectins from rye (Secale cereale) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) embryos. Biochemical Journal 203, 239–243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pusztai, A. (1991). Plant Lectins. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pusztai, A., Begbie, R., Grant, G., Ewen, S. W. B. & Bardocz, S. (1991). Indirect effects of food antinutrients on protein digestibility and nutritional value of diets. In In vitro Digestionfor Pigs and Poultry, pp. 45–61 [Fuller, M. F., editor]. Wallingford, Oxon: CAB International.Google Scholar
Pusztai, A., Clarke, E. M. W., Grant, G. & King, T. P. (1981). The toxicity of Phaseolus vulgaris lectins. Nitrogen balance and immunochemical studies. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 32, 1037–1046.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pusztai, A., Ewen, S. W. B., Grant, G., Brown, D. S., Peumans, W. J., Van Damme, E. J. M. & Bardocz, S. (1992). Stimulation of growth and polyamine accretion in the small intestine and pancreas by lectins and trypsin inhibitors. In Polyamines in the Gastrointestinal Tract, Falk Symposium 62, pp. 473–483 [Dowling, R. H., Folsch, U. R. and Loser, C., editors]. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Pusztai, A., Ewen, S. W. B., Grant, G., Peumans, W. J., Van Damme, E. J. M., Rubio, L. & Bardocz, S. (1990). Relationship between survival and binding of plant lectins during small intestinal passage and their effectiveness as growth factors. Digestion 46 Suppl., 308–316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rubio, L. A., Grant, G., Bardocz, S., Dewey, P. & Pusztai, A. (1991). Nutritional response of growing rats to faba beans (Vicia faba L., minor) and faba bean fractions. British Journal of Nutrition 66, 533–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schachterle, G. R. & Pollack, R. L. (1973). A simplified method for the quantitative assay of small amounts of protein in biological material. Analytical Biochemistry 51, 654–655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seiler, N. & Knodgen, B. (1980). HPLC procedure for the simultaneous determination of the natural polyamines and their monoacetyl derivatives. Journal of Chromatography 221, 227–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sneider, W. C. (1957). Determination of nucleic acids in tissue by pentose analysis. Methods of Enzymology 3, 680–684.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steel, R. G. D. & Torrie, J. H. (1960). Principle and Procedures of Statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Zivin, J. A. & Snarr, J. F. (1973). An automated colorimetric method for the measurement of 3-hydroxybutyrate. Analytical Biochemistry 52, 456–461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed