Vigna umbellata

The pronounced and diverse biological activity of (- )-swainsonine (162) stems from its potency as an inhibitor of a-mannosidases, and its consequent ability to alter the course of glycoprotein processing. Mannosidases partially or wholly characterized during, or detected in, recent inhibition studies with the alkaloid include a-D-mannosidases in the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi 145,146) and in various insects 147,148), a murine lysosomal a-mannosidase 149), and a-mannosidases 1 and II from Vigna umbellata (rice beans) 150). The alkaloid was used to differentiate... 

Vigna umbellata (family Leguminosae Papilionoideae) Rice bean is native to Indo-China and it is now grown in Asia and in other areas of the tropics such as Mauritius, East Africa, West Indies, Australia and the USA. The seed is made into soups and stews and also as bean sprouts. The seed is processed into dhal. 

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