Abstract
Lectins are a class of proteins with specific and reversible
carbohydrate binding properties. Plant lectins constitute the group of
these proteins most studied, placing emphasis on the legume family. The
Caesalpinioideae subfamily is part of Leguminosae and second only to
Papilionoideae with more published works on lectins. Classically,
Caesalpinioideae is formed by 171 genera and 2250 species. It presents
13 genera with reports of lectins, featuring the Bauhinia genus with the
greatest number of species having purified and characterized lectins.
Comparing genera, the lectins in this subfamily do not have similar
physicochemical or structural properties. Collectively, however,
antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer activities have been reported,
as well as applications as biosensors and biomarkers. This review aims
to summarize the available data on purified lectins from species of the
Caesalpinioideae subfamily, demonstrating the characteristics of these
molecules and the potential for their application in future studies of
new lectins, as well as of application in several areas. (c) 2020
Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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