Canavalia ensiformis enhances the phytoremediation of remineralized and sulfentrazone-contaminated tropical soils

The objective of the study was to assess the phytoremediation potential in two remineralized soils contaminated with sulfentrazone. Two soil types were evaluated: Oxisol (clayey) and Inceptisol (sandy loam), in pots, with and without the incorporation of the rock powder, at rates of 0, 4, and 8 t ha-1. Following this, sulfentrazone was applied at rates of 200, 400, 600, and 800 g a. i. ha-1, in addition to the control treatment without herbicide application, followed by the sowing of Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean). Injury level (IL) was assessed at 42 days after emergence (DAE), and biometric evaluations of the phytoremediating species were conducted at 70 and 120 DAE in the Oxisol and Inceptisol, respectively, for the following variables: height (HT), diameter (DM), trifoliate leaf number (TN), leaf area (LA), above-ground dry biomass (DB), and root dry biomass (RDB). At the end of the phytoremediation experiment, the soils were analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and with Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) as a bioindicator to verify the residue of sulfentrazone. IL and DB assessments of the bioindicator species were conducted at 21 DAE. In both soils, higher herbicide rates (600 and 800 g a. i. ha-1) resulted in greater IL and reduced HT, LA, DB, and RDB of the phytoremediating species. C. ensiformis reduced the sulfentrazone residues in the soils. Although it did not directly influence phytoremediation, the rock powder improved soil fertility. In conclusion, C. ensiformis has the potential for effective phytoremediation of soils contaminated with sulfentrazone, providing safety for cultivating sensitive crops and benefiting the environment.

Sword Bean (Canavalia gladiata): a new host of Bean common mosaic virus

BACKGROUND

Sword bean (Canavalia gladiata) is an underutilized legume that has the potential to become an important food source owing to its wide range of nutritional and medicinal properties. In May 2023, symptoms induced by a possible virus infection such as mosaic, mottling and vein banding were observed on the leaves of about 20% of the Sword bean plants growing at the experimental research farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Symptomatic and asymptomatic samples were screened by ELISA for the presence of Potyvirus, Cucumber mosaic virus and Tobacco mosaic virus. All symptomatic samples tested positive for Potyvirus in ELISA as well as in RT-PCR assay using the universal potyvirus primer pair (CPUP /P9502) which amplify c. 700 bp of the partial coat protein region and 3'UTR. Asymptomatic samples tested negative for all tested viruses in both serological and molecular assays. BLASTn sequence analysis of the amplicons revealed that the sequence shares more than 98% identity with an Indian isolate of Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV). Sequence analysis enabled the identification of the Potyvirus as BCMV. Furthermore, the present Sword bean isolate clustered with other BCMV isolates in the phylogenetic analysis.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, BCMV was found to be naturally infecting Sword bean for the first time in the world. This is of epidemiological importance, as BCMV is known to cause significant yield losses in legumes and could severely hamper Sword bean production.

Design, Synthesis, Characterization and Computational Studies of Mannich Bases Oxadiazole Derivatives as New Class of Jack Bean Urease Inhibitors

Mannich bases consisting of 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione (3 a-3 l) bearing various substituents were synthesized and found potent jack bean urease inhibitors. The prepared compounds showed significantly good inhibitory activities with IC50 values from 9.45±0.05 to 267.42±0.23 μM. The compound 3 k containing 4-chlorophenyl (-R) and 4-hydroxyphenyl (-R') was most active with IC50 9.45±0.05 μM followed by 3 e (IC50 22.52±0.15 μM) in which -R was phenyl and -R' was isopropyl group. However, when both -R and -R' were either 4-chlorophenyl groups (3 l) or only -R' was 4-nitrophenyl (3 i), both compounds were found inactive. The detailed binding affinities of the produced compounds with protein were explored through molecular docking and data-supported in-vitro enzyme inhibition profiles. Drug likeness was confirmed by in silico ADME investigations and molecular orbital analysis (HOMO-LUMO) and electrostatic potential maps were got from DFT calculations. ESP maps exposed that there are two potential binding sites with the most positive and most negative parts.

Canavalia gladiata Pod Extract Mitigates Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma Onset in Male BALB/c Mice via Suppression of MAPK

Asthma is one of the most common inflammatory diseases of the lung worldwide. There has been considerable progress in recent studies to treat and prevent allergic asthma, however, various side effects are still observed in clinical practice. Six-week-old male BALB/c mice were orally administered with either sword bean pod extracts (SBP; 100 or 300 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (DEX; 5 mg/kg) once daily over 3 weeks, followed by ovalbumin sensitization (OVA/Alum.; intraperitoneal administration, 50 μg/2 mg/per mouse). Scoring of lung inflammation was performed to observe pathological changes in response to SBP treatment compared to OVA/Alum.-induced lung injury. Additionally, inflammatory cytokines were quantified in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissue using ELISA and Western blot analyses. SBP treatment significantly reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells, and release of histamine, immunoglobulin E, and leukotriene in serum and BALF. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of SBP was also assessed to analyze the inflammatory changes in the lung tissues. SBP markedly suppressed the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway and the expression of key inflammatory proteins (e.g., TNF-α) and Th2 type cytokines (IL-5 and IL-13). SBP was effective in ameliorating the allergic inflammation against OVA/Alum.-induced asthma by suppressing pulmonary inflammation.

Sanguinarine, a major alkaloid from Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC., inhibits urease of Helicobacter pylori and jack bean: Susceptibility and mechanism

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. (Z. nitidum) is a traditional Chinese medicine and mainly adopted to treat gastric ulcer, gastritis and stomach cancer. Sanguinarine (SNG), a natural alkaloid isolated from Z. nitidum, possesses significant anti-Helicobacter pylori and gastric protection effects. However, the underlying mechanism is sparsely elucidated.

AIM OF THIS STUDY

The present study aims to explore the inhibition effect, kinetics and potential mechanism of SNG against H. pylori urease (HPU) and jack bean urease (JBU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The improved spectrophotometric berthelot method was applied to estimate the inhibitory effect of SNG against HPU and JBU. The Lineweaver-Burk plots were adopted for investigating the inhibitory pattern in enzymatic kinetics. Sulfydryl-containing compounds and competitive active-site Ni²⁺ binding depressors were used for mechanism research.

RESULTS

SNG remarkably suppressed the activities of HPU and JBU in concentration-and time-dependent mode with IC₅₀ of 0.48 ± 0.14 mM and 0.11 ± 0.02 mM, respectively, in comparison with urease retardant acetohydroxamic acid (0.06 ± 0.01 mM for HPU and 0.03 ± 0.00 mM for JBU, respectively). Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the inhibition of SNG against HPU and JBU were separately characterized by slow-binding, mixed-type and slow-binding, non-competitive type. Addition of sulfydryl-containing reagents (dithiothreitol, glutathione and L-cysteine) and competitive Ni²⁺ binding restrainers (boric acid and sodium fluoride) significantly abrogated the urease inhibitory effect of SNG, suggesting the significant role of the thiols and Ni²⁺ for the urease inhibition by SNG. By contrast, interaction with thiol groups possibly contributed to the repression of SNG on JBU. Furthermore, the urease suppression was proved to be partially reversible since the SNG-blocked enzyme could be partly reactivated by glutathione.

CONCLUSION

SNG could observably inhibit H. pylori urease targeting the thiols and Ni²⁺, which indicated that SNG was a new urease suppressant with great promise. The present research also provided scientific evidence for the application of SNG and Z. nitidum treating H. pylori-associated gastrointestinal diseases.

Three New Acrylic Acid Derivatives from Achillea mellifolium as Potential Inhibitors of Urease from Jack Bean and α-Glucosidase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

(1) Background: Achillea mellifolium belongs to a highly reputed family of medicinal plants, with plant extract being used as medicine in indigenous system. However, limited data is available regarding the exploitation of the medicinal potential of isolated pure compounds from this family; (2) Methods: A whole plant extract was partitioned into fractions and on the basis of biological activity, an ethyl acetate fraction was selected for isolation of pure compounds. Isolated compounds were characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. The compounds isolated from this study were tested for their medicinal potential using in-vitro enzyme assay, coupled with in-silico studies; (3) Results: Three new acrylic acid derivatives (1–3) have been isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Achillea mellifolium. The characterization of these compounds (1–3) was carried out using UV/Vis, FT-IR, 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy (¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, HMBC, NOESY) and mass spectrometry. These acrylic acid derivatives were further evaluated for their enzyme inhibition potential against urease from jack bean and α glucosidase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using both in-silico and in-vitro approaches. In-vitro studies showed that compound 3 has the highest inhibition against urease enzyme (IC₅₀ =10.46 ± 0.03 μΜ), followed by compound 1 and compound 2 with percent inhibition and IC₅₀ value of 16.87 ± 0.02 c and 13.71 ± 0.07 μΜ, respectively, compared to the standard (thiourea-IC₅₀ = 21.5 ± 0.01 μΜ). The investigated IC₅₀ value of compound 3 against the urease enzyme is two times lower compared to thiourea, suggesting that this compound is twice as active compared to the standard drug. On the other hand, all three compounds (1–3) revealed mild inhibition potential against α-glucosidase. In-silico molecular docking studies, in combination with MD simulations and free energy, calculations were also performed to rationalize their time evolved mode of interaction inside the active pocket. Binding energies were computed using a MMPBSA approach, and the role of individual residues to overall binding of the inhibitors inside the active pockets were also computed; (4) Conclusions: Together, these studies confirm the inhibitory potential of isolated acrylic acid derivatives against both urease and α-glucosidase enzymes; however, their inhibition potential is better for urease enzyme even when compared to the standard.

Phylogenetic relationships among Bradyrhizobium species nodulating groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.), jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis L.) and soybean (Glycine max Merr.) in Eswatini

This study assessed the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of rhizobial isolates obtained from root nodules of groundnut, jack bean and soybean planted in different locations within Eswatini. Seventy-six rhizobial isolates were studied using ERIC-PCR (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus) fingerprinting and PCR amplification of 16S rRNA, housekeeping genes (atpD, dnaK, glnll and rpoB) and symbiotic genes (nifH and nodC). The dendrogram generated from the ERIC-PCR banding patterns grouped the test rhizobial isolates into 16 major clusters (Cluster I-XVI), with three isolates, namely TUTAHeS60, TUTGMeS3 and TUTAHeS127, forming outgroups of Clusters IV, VI and IX, respectively. Furthermore, the 76 test isolates were grouped into 56 ERIC-PCR types at 70% similarity level. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and multilocus sequence analysis of four housekeeping (atpD, dnaK, glnII and rpoB) and two symbiotic (nifH and nodC) genes showed that all three legumes (groundnut, jack bean and soybean) were nodulated by bacterial symbionts belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium, with some isolates exhibiting high divergence from the known reference type strains. The results also showed that B. arachidis, B. iriomotense and B. canariense were the closest type strains to the groundnut isolates, while B. pachyrhizi and B. elkanii were the closest relatives to the bacterial symbionts associated with the nodulation of both jack bean and soybean. This study is the first report to describe of the bacterial symbionts nodulating jack bean in African soils.

Complete genome sequence of a recombinant isolate of yambean mosaic virus from Canavalia ensiformis

The complete genome sequence of a Brazilian isolate of yambean mosaic virus (YBMV) is presented. High-throughput sequencing (Illumina HiSeq) and Sanger sequencing revealed the complete genome sequence of the YBMV-BRA-6 isolate, found in Canavalia ensiformis. The de novo contigs were assembled into a 9612 nucleotides (nt) long scaffold, excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) tail, covering the complete genome. The genomic RNA contains an open reading frame (ORF) typical of members of the genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae, encoding a large putative polyprotein of 3078 amino acids (aa) and a small overlapping PIPO ORF. Pairwise comparisons showed that the YBMV-BRA-6 isolate sequence shares 88.1% nt identity for the complete genome and 90.6% aa identity for the polyprotein with the YBMV-SR isolate. Phylogenetic analysis grouped both isolates together and close to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV). The polyprotein cleavage sites were predicted and a recombination event is described.

Enhanced antibacterial activity of the gentamicin against multidrug-resistant strains when complexed with Canavalia ensiformis lectin

The lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific to sugar groups associated to other molecules. In addition to interacting with carbohydrates, a number of studies have reported the ability of these proteins to modulate the activity of several antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. In this study, we report the enhanced antibacterial activity of the gentamicin against MDR strains when complexed with a lectin from Canavalia ensiformis seeds (ConA). Hemagglutination activity test and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the gentamicin can interact with ConA most likely via the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) with binding constant (K_b) value estimated of (0.44 ± 0.04) x 10⁴ M^-1. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) obtained for ConA against all strains studied were not clinically relevant (MIC ≥ 1024 μg/mL). However, when ConA was combined with gentamicin, a significant increase in antibiotic activity was observed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The present study showed that ConA has an affinity for gentamicin and modulates its activity against MDR strains. These results indicate that ConA improves gentamicin performance and is a promising candidate for structure/function analyses.

The role of extracellular nucleic acids in the immune system modulation of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Extracellular traps (ETs) are extracellular nucleic acids associated with cytoplasmic proteins that may aid in the capture and killing of pathogens. To date, only a few insects were shown to display this kind of immune response. Jaburetox, a peptide derived from jack bean urease, showed toxic effects in Rhodnius prolixus, affecting its immune response. The present study aims to evaluate the role of extracellular nucleic acids in R. prolixus' immune response, using Jaburetox as a model entomotoxin. The insects were treated with extracellular nucleic acids and/or Jaburetox, and the cellular and humoral responses were assessed. We also evaluated the release of extracellular nucleic acids induced by toxins, and performed immunocompetence assays using pathogenic bacteria. Our results demonstrated that extracellular nucleic acids can modulate the insect immune responses, either alone or associated with the toxin. Although RNA and DNA induced a cellular immune response, only DNA was able to neutralize the Jaburetox-induced aggregation of hemocytes. Likewise, the activation of the humoral response was different for RNA and DNA. Nevertheless, it was observed that both, extracellular DNA and RNA, immunocompensated the Jaburetox effects on insect defenses upon the challenge of a pathogenic bacterium. The toxin was not able to alter cellular viability, in spite of inducing an increase in the reactive species of oxygen formation. In conclusion, we have demonstrated a protective role for extracellular nucleic acids in R. prolixus´ immune response to toxins and pathogenic bacteria.

Impact of Electron-Beam Irradiation on Functional Attributes of Seeds of Two Coastal Wild Legume Landraces of Canavalia

BACKGROUND

Vegetable proteins have widespread application in the food industry as functional ingredients in food formulations according to the recent patents. Requirement to develop less expensive protein-rich supplementary foods has resulted in shift of emphasis towards lesser known wild than popular legumes.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to expose seeds of two coastal sand dune wild legumes of the Southwest India (Canavalia cathartica and C. maritima) to different doses of electron-beam (EB) irradiation to assess changes in functional attributes.

METHOD

Intact dried seeds were exposed to EB irradiation (2.5, 5, 10, 15 kGy). Protein solubility, gelation concentration, water-absorption capacity, oil-absorption capacity, emulsion properties and foam properties of control and irradiated seeds were assessed by standard methods.

RESULTS

Protein solubility of both seed flours attained the highest at 2.5 kGy, followed by gradual dosedependent decrease. The gelation concentration increased in C. cathartica only at 5 kGy, while it decreased in C. maritima at 2.5 kGy without further change at higher doses. The water-absorption capacity of C. maritima was significantly higher than C. cathartica in control sample, while at 15 kGy C. cathartica showed significantly higher absorption capacity than C. maritima. The oil-absorption capacity was significantly higher in C. maritima than C. cathartica in control as well as all doses of irradiation. Emulsion activity of C. maritima was slightly higher than C. cathartica in control and irradiated samples, while both seeds showed similar emulsion stability in control with significant increase in C. cathartica at 10 kGy and 15 kGy. The foam capacity in both seeds was similar up to 2.5 kGy followed by significant increase in C. maritima at 5 kGy and 10 kGy. The foam stability was significantly higher C. cathartica than C. maritima in control as well as in irradiated samples. The foam capacity was higher in C. maritima than C. cathartica in control and irradiated samples, which showed gradual time-dependent decrease in stability with higher stability at 8 hr in C. cathartica than C. maritima.

CONCLUSION

Improved functional properties (protein solubility, emulsion stability and foam capacity) and decreased gelation concentration in seeds of C. maritima irradiated at 5 kGy is advantageous in the production of functional foods. Even though both species of Canavalia grew on the coastal sand dunes and their seeds were exposed to same doses of radiation, they differed in functional attributes confirm that it is species-specific. Canavalia seeds being rich in proteins, carbohydrates, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and bioactive components, further studies on the impact of EB irradiation helps in optimization of nutraceutical potential as well as functional attributes for future applications.

A comprehensive study of interactions between lectins and glycoproteins for the development of effective theranostic nanoagents

A comprehensive study of the interactions between lectins and glycoproteins possessing different glycosylation profiles in the composition of nanoparticles was carried out in order to find specifically interacting protein pairs for the creation of novel classes of multifunctional nanoagets that based on protein-assisted selfassembly. We obtained information about specific interactions of certain lectins with selected glycoproteins as well as about the ability of certain monosaccharides to competitively inhibit binding of glycoproteins with lectins. These protein-mediated interactions may be involved in the formulation of self-assembled nanoparticles for therapy and diagnostics of various diseases.

[Interaction of protein with charged colloidal particles]

The functional state of three proteins of different molecular weight (urease, lactate dehydrogenase, and hemoglobin) in the presence of the linear polyelectrolytes poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAA) and sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) in the dissolved state and of the same polyelectrolytes bound to the surface of microspheres has been investigated. Microspheres were prepared by consecutive absorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes so that the outer layer of the shell was PAA for the acidic protein urease, and PSS for the alkaline proteins LDH and hemoglobin. It was shown that the dissolved polyelectrolyte completely inactivates all three proteins within one minute with a slight difference in the time constant. (By Hb inactivation are conventionally meant changes in the heme environment observed from the spectrum in the Soret band.) In the presence of microspheres, the proteins were adsorbed on their surface; in this case, more than 95% of the activity was retained within two hours. The proportion of the protein adsorbed on microspheres accounted for about 98% for urease, 72% for Hb, and 35% for LDH, as determined from the tryptophan fluorescence data. The interaction of hemoglobin with another type of charged colloidal particles, phospholipid vesicles, leads to the destruction of the tertiary structure of the protein, which made itself evident in the optical absorption spectra in the Soret band, as well as the spectra of tryptophan fluorescence and circular dichroism. In this case, according to circular dichroism, the percentage of alpha-helical structure of Hb was maintained. The differences in the physical and chemical mechanisms of interaction of proteins with these two types of charged colloidal particles that leads to differences in the degree of denaturing effects are discussed.

The effects of yellow soybean, black soybean, and sword bean on lipid levels and oxidative stress in ovariectomized rats

Soy isoflavones have been reported to decrease the risk of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. However, the effects of dietary consumption of soybean have not been explored. In this study, we evaluated the effects of consuming yellow soybeans, black soybeans (Glycine max), or sword beans (Canavalia gladiate) on lipid and oxidative stress levels in an ovariectomized rat model. Forty-seven nine-week-old female rats were ovariectomized, randomly divided into four groups, and fed one of the following diets for 10 weeks: a diet supplemented with casein (NC, n = 12), a diet supplemented with yellow soybean (YS, n = 12), a diet supplemented with black soybean (BS, n = 12), or a diet supplemented with sword bean (SB, n = 11). Plasma triglyceride (TG) levels in the BS and SB groups were significantly lower than that in the NC group. Notably, the BS group had significantly lower plasma total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels than the other groups. Hepatic total lipid levels were significantly lower in the YS and SB groups, and cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the SB group than in the NC group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly higher in the groups fed beans compared to the NC group. Hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were also significantly lower in the BS and SB groups than the NC group. In conclusion, our results suggest that consumption of various types of beans may inhibit oxidative stress in postmenopausal women by increasing antioxidant activity and improving lipid profiles. Notably, intake of black soybean resulted in the greatest improvement in risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

Calcium alginate entrapped preparations of Aspergillus oryzae beta galactosidase: its stability and applications in the hydrolysis of lactose

Insoluble concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex was obtained by using jack bean extract and this complex was crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, in order to maintain the integrity of complex in the presence of its substrate or products. Concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex retained 92% of the initial enzyme activity whereas crosslinked complex showed 88% activity. Entrapment of concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex into calcium alginate beads provided suitability to use this preparation in reactors. Temperature- and pH-optima of the various immobilized beta galactosidase preparations were the same as its soluble counterpart. Entrapped crosslinked concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex retained more than 50% activity after 1h exposure with 4.0 M urea at room temperature. Moreover, entrapped crosslinked concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex retained 81 and 62% of the original enzymatic activity in the presence of 5% calcium chloride and 5% galactose, respectively. Entrapped crosslinked concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex preparation was more superior in the continuous hydrolysis of lactose in a batch process as compared to the other entrapped preparations. This entrapped crosslinked concanavalin A-beta galactosidase complex retained 95% activity after seventh repeated use and 93% of its original activity even after 2 months storage at 4 degrees C.

The use of new probes and stains for improved assessment of cell viability and extracellular polymeric substances in Candida albicans biofilms

Phenotypic and genotypic cell differentiation is considered an important feature that confers enhanced antifungal resistance in candidal biofilms. Particular emphasis has been placed in this context on the viability of biofilm subpopulations, and their heterogeneity with regard to the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). We therefore assessed the utility of two different labeled lectins Erythrina cristagalli (ECA) and Canavalia ensiformis (ConA), for EPS visualization. To evaluate the viability of candidal biofilms, we further studied combination stains, SYTO9 and propidium iodide (PI). The latter combination has been successfully used to assess bacterial, but not fungal, viability although PI alone has been previously used to stain nuclei in fungal cells. Candida albicans biofilms were developed in a rotating disc biofilm reactor and observed in situ using confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). Our data indicate that SYTO9 and PI are reliable vital stains that may be used to investigate C. albicans biofilms. When used together with ConA, the lectin ECA optimized EPS visualization and revealed differential production of this material in mature candidal biofilms. The foregoing probes and stains and the methodology described should help better characterize C. albicans biofilms in terms of cell their viability, and EPS production.

Potential of KM+ lectin in immunization against Leishmania amazonensis infection

In the present study we evaluated Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr), Pisum arvense (PAA) and Artocarpus integrifolia (KM+) lectins as immunostimulatory molecules in vaccination against Leishmania amazonensis infection. Although they induced IFN-gamma production, the combination of the lectins with SLA antigen did not lead to lesion reduction. However, parasite load was largely reduced in mice immunized with KM+ lectin and SLA. KM+ induced a smaller inflammatory reaction in the air pouch model and was able to inhibit differentiation of dendritic cells (BMDC), but to induce maturation by enhancing the expression of MHC II, CD80 and CD86. These observations indicate the modulatory role of plant lectins in leishmaniasis vaccination may be related to their action on the initial innate response.

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Incorporation into cookies of prime and tailing starches isolated from Phaseolus lunatus and Canavalia ensiformis seeds was carried out and compared with those elaborated with conventional corn starch (Maizena), which were sensory evaluated and assessed for total dietary fiber (TDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) contents. Sensory evaluation was carried out using an incomplete block design by a non-trained panel of judges. The analysis of variance indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05), in the level of acceptation, among the different formulations; cookies elaborated with prime starches were preferred. Cookies elaborated with the tailing starches and the control cookie had similar acceptance. The cookies prepared with tailing starches presented TDF, IDF and SDF contents of 9.3, 4.86 and 4.87%, respectively for C. ensiformis and of 9.85, 8.75 and 1.10%, for P. lunatus. These contents were higher than those found in other cookies. The use of prime and tailing starches of Canavalia ensiformis and Phaseolus lunatus may represent an effective alternative in manufacturing of fiber-rich bakery products.