EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON HAEMAGGLUTININ ACTIVITY OF CRUDE LECTIN EXTRACT FROM BAMBARA GROUNDNUT (VIGNA SUBTERRANEAN) AND SOYBEAN (GLYCINE ТАX)

the project work studied the effect of processing methods on the haemagglutinin activity of crude lectin extracts form soybean and bambara groundnut. Extracts of crude lectin were produced from raw, boiled and roasted seeds of the two legumes and tested for agglutination of ed blood cells from blood samples of different blood Groups A. AB, B and O at varying concentrations of the crude lectin extracts. Apglutination was ranked as high (+++), moderate () and slight (low) (+) respectively depending on the extent of agglutination. Obtained results show that the extracts from both seeds in raw state caused high agglutination in all blood groups (). Processed seed extracts reduced the activity of lectin extract from high agglutination ) to moderate (++) at full concentration and to low agglutination (1) at concentrations between 102 to 10. Higher levels of reductions were recorded with boiling in which the agglutination of the blood cells were all slight (1) while no agglutinations were recorded at concentration of 10 and below. comparatively. the effect of processing (roasting and noiling)was more in soybean than in bambara while boiling as a processing method had more reduction impaet on the seeds than roasting. It was observed that heat treatment is one viable method of reducing the activity of haemaglutinn in foods as shown in the legume seeds studied. lso, slight variations were recorded in the effeet on the different blood groups tested. The process of heating was therefore recommended for consumers of legume seeds for improved safety