Explain the Lectins or Haemagglutinins?
These are sugar binding proteins, having the ability to bind and agglutinate red blood cells (RBCs). You will find that they occur in most plant foods including those, which may be eaten raw. Lectins are specific in the sugar they bind to and also in their toxicity. Of great interest would be the fact that lectins from horse gram, lima beans, kidney beans, mung, winged beans and castor beans are toxic when orally consumed but lectins from soybeans and peanuts are not.