Antibacterial and antitumor activities of a lectin-rich preparation from rhizome.

The rhizome of contains a lectin (carbohydrate-binding protein) called MvRL. Studies demonstrated that a MvRL-rich fraction did not show genotoxicity and acute toxicity in mice. This study aimed to evaluate the MvRL-rich fraction from rhizome for antibacterial activity and as well as antitumor effect using the Ehrlich carcinoma model in mice. The fraction showed antibacterial activity against , , , , and with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 31.2 to 125.0 ​μg/mL and minimal bactericidal concentrations from 62.5 to 200 ​μg/mL. The fraction was also effective against infection caused by these bacteria on larvae considering the parameters evaluated. In regard to the antitumor activity, the treatments of Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice with the fraction at 100 and 200 ​mg/kg resulted in 62.58% and 75.43% of tumor inhibition, respectively. In conclusion, the MvRL-rich fraction showed antibacterial and antitumor activities and thus can be considered as an alternative of natural origin for the development of candidates for therapy.