Wheat Germ Agglutinin—From Toxicity to Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Wheat germ agglutinin is a hevein class N-Acetylglucosamine–binding protein with specific toxicity and biomedical potential. It is extractable from wheat germ—a low-value byproduct of the wheat industry—using well–established extraction methods based on salt precipitation and affinity chromatography. Due to its N-Acetylglucosamine affinity, wheat germ agglutinin exhibits antifungal properties as well as cytotoxic properties. Its anticancer properties have been demonstrated for various cancer cells, and toxicity mechanisms are well described. Wheat germ agglutinin has been demonstrated as a viable solution for various biomedical and therapeutic applications, such as chemotherapy, targeted drug delivery, antibiotic-resistant bacteria monitoring and elimination. This is performed mostly in conjunction with nanoparticles, liposomes, and other carrier mechanisms via surface functionalization. Combined with abundant wheat byproduct sources, wheat germ agglutinin has the potential to improve the biomedical field considerably.

Polymer‐Based Drug‐Free Therapeutics for Anticancer, Anti‐Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Treatment

“…Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which binds selectively to N ‐acetylglucosamine and N ‐acetylneuraminic acid, [ 55,116,117 ] was also used as a model lectin. The biological roles of WGA include antifungal and anticancer activities and participation in the regulation of immune responses.…”

“…The biological roles of WGA include antifungal and anticancer activities and participation in the regulation of immune responses. [ 116 ] WGA showed toxicity toward various cancer cells lines, such as pancreatic, liver, and skin, besides inducing acute myeloid leukemia cell death even at low doses. [ 117 ] Our group prepared HPMA‐based glycopolymers decorated with N ‐acetyl‐ d ‐glucosamine (GlcNAc) epitopes of varying lengths (chitooligomers of one to five GlcNAc units) using RAFT polymerization followed by a click reaction with azide‐functionalized saccharides.…”

The Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Activity of Wheat Germ and Wheat Germ Protein in High-Fat Diet-Induced Rats

“…The antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of defatted wheat germ have been reported [ 8 ]. Due to its N-acetylglucosamine affinity, several studies have demonstrated that wheat germ agglutinin could be a useful compound for various biomedical and therapeutic applications, such as chemotherapy, targeted drug delivery, antibiotic-resistant bacteria monitoring and elimination [ 9 ]. In several papers, wheat germ polysaccharides have been shown to regulate the immune response of mice associated with intestinal microbiota and have antioxidant activity [ 10 , 11 ].…”

Biogenesis of Exosomes Laden with Metallic Silver–Copper Nanoparticles Liaised by Wheat Germ Agglutinin for Targeted Delivery of Therapeutics to Breast Cancer

“…It is extensively used in the labeling cell membrane and exhibits a strong affinity to glycoproteins, and glycolipid contains sialic acid and N-acetylglucosamine residues. [36][37][38] Earlier studies have shown rapid endocytosis and recycling of WGA from the nonlysosomal pathway; however, its recycling mechanism is not fully known. [39][40][41] Further, studies show the intracellular transport of WGA is facilitated by actin and is microtubule-dependent.…”