Plant Lectins

by A. Pusztai

Overview

This volume surveys the chemistry, biochemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism, and pharmacological properties of lectins. After a chemically orientated first chapter dealing with specificity and a second chapter on structure, in the rest of the book lectins are looked at from a biological point of view. Their involvement in metabolism and biosynthesis, the distribution and localization in plant tissues and their role in interactions with the outside world are discussed in chapters 3 and 4. The last two chapters deal with the effects of lectins on various cells of the body including blood, gut, and nerve cells with particular emphasis on medical, nutritional, and general biological aspects.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521063203
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/29/2008
Series:	Chemistry and Pharmacology of Natural Products
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Lectins and their specificity; 2. Structure of lectins; 3. Localization and biosynthesis in plants; 4. Biological functions in plants; 5. Effects on blood cells; 6. General effects on animals cells; References; Glossary; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...can be recommended as an invaluable source of information for the more advanced student and the specialist whose research involves the use of lectins..." Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Publisher