Nematicidal activity of a water soluble lectin from seeds of Moringa oleifera

•The lectin interfered in egg hatching and development of larvae.•The anthelmintic effect of WSMoL decreased partially in the presence of fructose.•WSMoL interfered to the activity of larval proteolytic enzymes.•The lectin interacted with embryonic egg content and body mass of the larvae. Gastrointestinal nematodes are the major cause of animal diseases, and the indiscriminate use of synthetic anthelmintic contributes to the development of drug resistance. Natural bioproducts are noteworthy since they have proved to be promising for alternative antiparasitic therapies. This study evaluated the in vitro effect of WSMoL (water soluble Moringa oleifera lectin) on hatching of eggs and on the development of early-stage larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes from naturally infected goats. In addition, the interference of WSMoL on activity of proteases was determined and the affinity of the lectin for glycosylated molecules of these parasites was investigated using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled WSMoL. WSMoL at 250μgmL−1 interfered on hatching of eggs (40.4% of not hatched eggs; p=0.018), and on larval development (stages L1–L3) (IC50 of 78.22μgmL−1). The activity of secreted proteases showed a significant increase in the presence of WSMoL (307.14U/mg–1031U/mg). FITC-labeled WSMoL recognized embryonic egg content and larval content after hatching, which suggests that WSMoL interact with intestinal glycoconjugate receptors in the embryo, as well as in cuticle of the larvae.