Interaction of lectin from Viscum album L. with arabinogalactan-proteins from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench

Today mistletoe extracts play an important role in adjuvant cancer treatment because of their immunostimulating properties. Clinical studies have shown that mistletoe lectin I enhances the secretion of cytokines and interleukins and increases the number of natural killer cells. As recognition and binding of mistletoe lectins to sugar chains present on the cell surface of immunogenic cells is the first step in biological activity, knowledge on sugar binding properties of lectins is significant in determining their medicinal potential. In order to enhance knowledge on possible binding sites of mistletoe lectins, w…