Sugar inhibition of the lectin jacalin: comparison of three assays

RESUMO

1. Three assays were used to test nine sugars for inhibition of jacalin activity prepared from Artocarpus intefrifolia. Rat spleen proliferation was unssuitable since the measurement of the effects of sugars against jacalin binding was complicated by their simultaneous metavolic effects on the cells. 2. Based partly on a sheep red blood cell hemagglutination assay and mainly on human serum protein preciptation, the following potencies in relation to D(+)-galactose (taken as 1) were obtained: 1-0-methyl-alfa-D-galactopyranoside, 40; methyl-alfa-D-mannopyranoside and D(+)-mannose, 0.12; ß-Dd-(-)-fructose, 0.08; alfa - D(+)-glucose and 1 - 0-methyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside, <0.04