Method for detecting the lectin activity of Momordica charantia transferred from micro two-dimensional electrophoretic gel on to nitrocellulose.

A method was devised for detecting both the molecular mass and the isoelectric point (pI) of the lectin in the seed extract of Momordica charantia on a nitrocellulose membrane. It was associated with the electrophoretic blotting technique that produced replicas of proteins separated on micro two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels. The red blood cell adherence procedure on the blotted membrane exhibited only one red spot with molecular mass 107.10(3) and pI 5.3, which indicated the lectin activity. Additionally, the lectin appeared to be a glycoprotein with mannose and/or glucose, because it was stained by concanavalin A-peroxidase staining.