What is the Difference Between Lectins and Oxalates

The key difference between lectins and oxalates is that too much lectins can cause skin rashes, joint pain, and general inflammation, whereas too much oxalates can cause kidney stones.

Lectins are proteins that are able to bind with carbohydrates, and they are highly specific for sugar groups in molecules. Oxalate can be described as an anion having the chemical formula C₂O₄^2-.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Lectins 
3. What are Oxalates
4. Lectins vs Oxalates in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Lectins vs Oxalates

What are Lectins?

Lectins are proteins that are able to bind with carbohydrates, and they are highly specific for sugar groups in molecules. This biding with carbohydrates can cause agglutination of different cells or precipitation of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides. In fact, a major role of lectins is the recognition of cells, carbohydrates, and proteins at the cellular level and molecular level to perform numerous roles in biological recognition.

Moreover, lectins can mediate the attachment and binding of bacteria, viruses, and fungi towards the target of desire. These compounds are ubiquitous in nature, and we can find them in many food sources, including beans and grains that need to be cooked, fermented, or sprouted for the reduction of lectin content. Some lectins are very beneficial because they can promote bone growth, but some are powerful toxins, e.g. ricin.

Some specific monosaccharides and oligosaccharides can disable lectins by binding to the lectins in grains, legumes, nightshade plants, and dairy products. These binding can also prevent the attachment to the carbohydrates within cell membranes. Moreover, lectins can be selective because these substances are very useful for analyzing blood type.

What are Oxalates?

Oxalate can be described as an anion having the chemical formula C₂O₄^2-. It is a dianion because it is a combination of two charged species that we can write as (COO)₂^2-. We can abbreviate this ion as “ox.” Furthermore, it can occur as an anion in ionic compounds or as a ligand in coordination compounds. However, the conversion of oxalate into oxalic acid is a complicated and step-wise reaction.

In addition, the molar mass of this ion is 88 g/mol. When considering the structure of this anion, the geometry can be either planar or staggered structure according to the X-ray crystallographic analysis.

The symptoms of high oxalate content in urine include pain when urinating, blood in urine, sharp pain in the back or lower belly, feeling sick in the stomach, etc. However, a diet that is rich in calcium can be helpful in reducing the amount of oxalate that is being absorbed by the body. Therefore, stones are less likely to be formed in the body.

What is the Difference Between Lectins and Oxalates?

Lectins and oxalates are important dietary items. The key difference between lectins and oxalates is that too much lectins can cause skin rashes, joint pain, and general inflammation, whereas too much oxalates can cause kidney stones.

The below infographic presents the differences between lectins and oxalates in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Lectins vs Oxalates

Lectins are proteins that are able to bind with carbohydrates, and they are highly specific for sugar groups in molecules. Oxalate, on the other hand, can be described as an anion having the chemical formula C2O42-. The key difference between lectins and oxalates is that too much lectins can cause skin rashes, joint pain, and general inflammation, whereas too much oxalates can cause kidney stones.

Reference:

1. “Lectins.” The Nutrition Source, Harvard. Mar. 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Hemagglutinin lateral” By The National Center for Biotechology Information. (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sources of Calcium” By Brookepinsent – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia