Some biological activities of ethanol extract of amaranthus lividus L. seeds and the lectin purified from the crude extract

In this study, the ethanol extract prepared from seeds of Amaranthus lividus L., locally known as "dari mancari" and one of the most popular leafy vegetable consumed in West Black Sea Region of Turkey, was tested in vitro for its ability to inhibits peroxidation of liposomes, scavenges radicals and reducing power in comparison with -tocopherol, ascorbic acid and gallic acid, a natural polyphenolic compound. It was found that the extract possess the antioxidant activity. The extracts was tested also for its in vitro inhibitory effects against AChE, BuChE, COX-1 and COX-2 activities. It was concluded that the extract may provide treatment options for Alzheimer's, inflammation-mediated and cancer diseases. The lectin from A. lividus seeds crude extract was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate fractional precipitation and affinity chromatography. The enzyme was purified approximatedly 11.8 fold over the crude extract. The molecular weight of the each monomer was calculated as 34 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing and reducing conditions. Consequently, the results of this investigation showed that the seeds of Amaranthus lividus L. contained a rich amount of valuable ingredients like phenolic compounds and lectin that are beneficial for health.