Table 3. Biomedical applications of algal lectins.

Algae	Lectin designated	Biomedical application(s)	Reference(s)
Blue-green algae
Microcystis viridis	MVL	Antiviral activity (EC50 = 30 mM, IC50 30 nM).	Bewley et al. (2004)
Nostoc ellipsosporum	Cyanovirin-N (CV-N)	Anti-HIV activity in vitro (IC50 = 1.8 nM) (EC50 = 0.1 nM). Antiviral activity against Ebola virus (EC50 = 100 nM). Antiviral activity against Influenza A and B virus (EC50 = 0.004–0.5 μg/ml).	Barrientos et al. (2003); Boyd et al. (1997); O’Keefe et al. (2003)
Oscillatoria agardhii	OAA	Inhibits HIV replication in MT-4 cells (EC50 = 44.5 nM).	Sato et al. (2007)
Scytonema varium	SVN	Neutralizes both laboratory-adapted strains and primary isolates of HIV1 activity (EC50 = 0.3 & IC50 = 20.1).	Alexandre et al. (2010)
Green algae
Boodlea coacta	BCA	Anti-HIV activity in vitro in MT-4 cells (EC50 = 8.2 nM) & Anti-influenza activity inhibiting replication of influenza virus in MDCK cells	Sato et al. (2011b)
Bryopsis hypnoides	–	Mediates protoplast regeneration.	Niu et al. (2009)
B. plumosa	Bryohealin	Wound-healing properties.	Jung et al. (2010)
Caulerpa cupressoides	CcL	Antinociceptive & anti-inflammatory effect.	Vanderlei et al. (2010)
Ulva rigida	–	Stimulated mitogenesis in murine splenocytes	Bird et al. (1993)
Brown algae
Laminaria diabolica	Diabolin	Causes the development of fertilization envelope around unfertilized eggs of sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus).	Smit (2004)
Red algae
Amansia multifida	LEC	Antinociceptive properties.	Neves et al. (2007)
	Amansin	Stimulated dose dependent proliferation of human PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells). Induces interferon (IFN-γ) production and neutrophil migration in vivo & in vitro.	Lima et al. (1998); Neves et al. (2001)
	Bryothamnion seaforthii	BSL	Differentiate human colon carcinoma cell variants.	Pinto et al. (2009)
BSL		Antinociceptive activity.	Vieira et al. (2004); Viana et al. (2002)
BSL		Block adherence of Streptococci to acquired pellicle in vitro.	Teixeira et al. (2007)
B. triquetrum		BTL	Differentiate human colon carcinoma cell variants	Pinto et al. (2009)
	BTL	Vasorelaxant effect.	Lima et al. (2004)
	BTL	Antinociceptive activity.	Viana et al. (2002)
	Eucheuma serra	ESA	Cytotoxic against cancer cell lines. ESA-immobilized lipid vesicles effectively bind to cancer cell lines.	Sugahara et al. (2001)
ESA		ESA-immobilized onto span80 vesicles shows anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo	Omokawa et al. (2010)
Gracilaria cornea		GCL	Acaricidal activity.	Lima et al. (2005)
G. verrucosa HBOI strain G-16 S	–	Mitogenic for murine splenocytes.	Bird et al. (1993)
G. tikvahiae HBOI strain G-3	–	Mitogenic for human lymphocytes & murine splenocytes.	Bird et al. (1993)
G. tikvahiae HBOI strain G-5	–	Mitogenic for murine splenocytes.	Bird et al. (1993)
Griffithsia sp.	Griffithsin (GRFT)	Inhibit HIV-1 virus (IC50 = 0.4 nM).	Alexandre et al. (2010)
	GRFT	Potent antiviral activity against T- &-M- tropic HIV-1 (EC50 = 0.043–0.63). Inhibitor of coronavirus.	Mori et al. (2005); Ziolkowska et al. (2006)
	Hypnea cervicornis	HCA	Bactericidal activities.	Siddqiui et al. (1993)
HCA		Anti-inflammatory activity & antinociceptive effects.	Bitencourt et al. (2008)
		HCA	Anti-hypernociceptive effect	Figueiredo et al. (2010)
H. japonica	Hypnin A	Toxicity to tumor cells. Inhibition of normal embryonic development of marine invertebrates. Specific binding to fucosylated N-glycans making it valuable tool for cancer diagnosis.	Okuyama et al. (2009)
		Inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation.	Matsubara et al. (1996)
	Kappaphycus alvarezii	KAA-2	Inhibits influenza virus infection.	Sato et al. (2011a)
Phaeodactylum tricornutum	–	Anti-inflammatory, analgesic & free radical scavenging activity	Guzman et al. (2001)
Solieria filiformis	–	Stimulates the growth of Gram +ve species Bacillus cereus & inhibited the growth of Gram –ve species (Serratia marcescens, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus sp).	Holanda et al. (2005)
Tichocarpus crinitus	TCL	Stimulate synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokinies TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 by human whole-blood cells.	Molchanova et al. (2010)

–: Lectin not designated.