Efectos toxicológicos del consumo de lectina de frijoles en la población de la ciudad de Ambato

Abstract

Beans provide nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins; so, they stand out as a food of nutritional and economic importance in any country in the world. But, on the other hand, there are antinutritional and toxic compounds that can affect human health. Among these components are plant lectins, which are proteins with high specificity to recognize carbohydrates, therefore, when ingested through undercooked beans, they easily bind to the cell surfaces of the small intestine, interfere with the passage of nutrients and they even damage the intestinal wall causing bacterial proliferation. Toxicity can present with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. However, lectins can be deactivated by cooking them properly. For this reason, the need arises to broaden the subject through a bibliographic search and the application of a virtual survey, methodologies used due to the health emergency caused by Covid-19, which allow achieving the objectives set and finding the toxicological effects that the Lectins from beans may affect the health of the inhabitants of the city of Ambato.