Influence of Geographical Area of Production on Lectin of Banana.

Lectin concept defines a class of proteins or glycoproteins with agglutinating properties on other cells that can reversibly bind carbohydrates without altering their structure. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of geographical area of production on lectin of banana. The lectin content, after isolation and purification was evaluated by hemagglutination tests. It was observed that the haemagglutinating activity is different between bananas from different sources. The results suggest that these laboratory determinations can identify the source of origin of the bananas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]