Antiproliferative and anti‐inflammatory effects of fractionated crude lectins from boiled kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the biological profile of lectins isolated from raw and boiled Japanese red Kintoki beans (red kidney beans [RKB]; Phaseolus vulgaris). Lectins in beans showing agglutination activity were retained after heating. Raw and boiled RKB lectins were fractionated using carboxymethyl‐ and diethylaminoethyl‐Sepharose, respectively. Boiled RKB lectins were evaluated for carbohydrate specificity as well as cytokine‐inducing and antiproliferative activities against cancer cells and compared with raw RKB lectins. Raw RKB lectins showed specificity for thyroglobulin and fetuin, whereas boiled lectins showed specificity for N‐acetylneuraminic acid. Raw RKB lectins showed low resistance to proteases and tolerated temperatures greater than 80°C for 5 min. Notably, lectins from raw and boiled beans showed antiproliferative activity against five types of cancer cells B16, LM8, HeLa, HepG2, and Colo 679. In particular, lectins from raw beans exhibited a significantly stronger activity than those from boiled beans. Anti‐inflammatory effects were notably observed in crude extracts from raw and boiled beans. Specifically, lectins fractionated from boiled beans markedly inhibited the expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐6. Overall, our results showed that RKB lectins from boiled beans exert anti‐inflammatory and anticancer effects and could be developed as potential chemopreventive agents.Practical ApplicationJapanese red kidney beans (RKB) are cultivated in numerous parts of the temperate zone and consumed in many countries. Lectins from boiled beans exhibited anticancer activity, similar to lectins from raw beans. Additionally, crude and fractionated lectins from boiled beans showed anti‐inflammatory activity. Thus, boiled RKB lectins have the potential to be used as a bioactive protein for medical research and could be developed as anticancer agents.