Lectins from red algae and their biomedical potential

Lectins are unique proteins or glycoproteins of non-immune origin that bind specifically to carbohydrates. They recognise and interact reversibly to either free carbohydrates or glycoconjugates, without modifying their structure. Lectins are highly diverse and widely distributed in nature and have been extensively reported from various red algae species. Numerous red algae species have been reported to possess lectins having carbohydrate specificity towards complex glycoproteins or high-mannose N-glycans. These lectin-glycan interactions further trigger many biochemical responses which lead to their extensive use as valuable tools in biomedical research. Thus, owing to their exceptional glycan recognition property, red algae lectins are potential candidate for inhibition of various viral diseases. Hence, the present report integrates existing information on the red algae lectins, their carbohydrate specificity, and characteristics of purified lectins. Further, the review also reports the current state of research into their anti-viral activity against various enveloped viruses such as HIV, hepatitis, influenza, encephalitis, coronavirus and herpes simplex virus and other biomedical activities such as anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and acaricidal activities.