Purification and characterization of Phoenix dactylifera lectin: µ-Opioid receptor-mediated antinociceptive and gastroprotective activities

Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) holds significant medicinal value, particularly in traditional medicine. This study focuses on purifying and characterizing a lectin (PdSL) extracted from its seeds and assessing its physicochemical stability, glycoprotein nature, and therapeutic properties, including...

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Main Authors: Sara A.A. Elmubarak, Maha B. Dafalla, Ahmed H. Idries, Eva H. Naser, Yusria E. Abdelrahim, Entsar A. Abdalrhman, Bashir M. Ahmed, Makarim Elfadil M. Osman, Amna K.E. Awadalla, Reem M.A. Ebrahim, Ashraf O. Abdellatif, Haseeba A. Saad, Emadeldin H.E. Konozy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Phytomedicine Plus
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667031325000405
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Summary:Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) holds significant medicinal value, particularly in traditional medicine. This study focuses on purifying and characterizing a lectin (PdSL) extracted from its seeds and assessing its physicochemical stability, glycoprotein nature, and therapeutic properties, including analgesic and gastroprotective activities. PdSL was extracted via phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and purified via ion exchange and affinity chromatography, resulting in a twofold increase in purity. Stability tests included varying temperatures (40–100 °C), pH levels (2–13), and exposure to denaturing agents. Biological assays were used to evaluate its analgesic effects in thermal (hot plate, p < 0.05) and chemical (acetic acid writhing, p < 0.01) pain models. Gastroprotective activity was assessed in an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats, with statistical significance at P < 0.05. PdSL demonstrated exceptional stability, retaining activity across a broad range of temperatures (up to 100 °C) and pH values (5.5–9.5). The lectin maintained hemagglutination activity under challenging conditions and showed specificity for sheep erythrocytes and mannose-binding properties. It was identified as a glycoprotein with 37.64 % neutral sugars and exhibited a hydrophobic binding site for adenine. In analgesic assays, PdSL significantly increased the pain threshold in the hotplate test, particularly at 6 mg/kg after 60 mins (p < 0.003), and in the writhing test, with a dose-dependent pain inhibition of 80–89 % (p < 0.01). Gastroprotective activity revealed dose-dependent ulcer inhibition, with a maximum reduction of 89 % at 1 mg/kg (p < 0.0001), along with normalization of the gastric pH. PdSL from Phoenix dactylifera seeds exhibits remarkable stability and therapeutic efficacy, including pain-relieving and antiulcer activities, with statistically significant results highlighting its potential as a candidate for drug development. These findings encourage further exploration of plant-derived lectins in biomedical research.
ISSN:2667-0313