Screening of Indian marine macro algae (Seaweeds) for haemagglutinin activity

Haemagglutinin (Lectins) are the compounds agglutinate (Clumping) the erythrocytes of the blood cells. Screening of 21 Indian seaweeds from chlorophyceae (green algae), phaeophyceae (brown algae) rhodophyceae (red algae) were collected from the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve. Haemagglutinin activities in 9 different blood samples were screened. However all the seaweed extract were not active on all blood samples there was the specificity differ greatly in the native and pappine treated erythrocytes. Majority of the seaweeds screened are a potential source of haemagglutinin as there extracts agglutinate one of the blood groups tested.