Antimicrobial Lectins from Euphorbiaceae

📒 There are many plants in Kashmir valley which have been shown to possess medicinal properties. Among them is Euphorbia helioscopia which is known for its medicinal values. At present drug resistance is a worldwide problem and much emphasis is being laid on the natural plant sources to act as antibiotics which can overcome this problem. Euphorbia helioscopia which is known for its medicinal values has febrifuge and vermifuge activities in its roots and stem respectively. The root is anti helminthic. The milky sap is applied externally to skin eruptions. The seeds, mixed with roasted pepper, have been used in the treatment of cholera and the oil from the seeds has purgative properties. However, isolation of any antibacterial protein has not been reported till date. The essence of the work was to check the antibacterial activity of the plant following its purification and characterization from leaves using conventional protein purification techniques. The lectin is a homodimer (Mr 65000Da), thermostable between 0°C- 40°C but exhibits a narrow range of pH stability being optimally active at pH 7. The lectin shows antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa, K.pneumoniae and E. coli.