Recent advances in the study of epitopes,allergens and immunologic cross-reactivity of edible mango

Mango(Mangifera indica L.)is a tropical fruit that is widely consumed as both fresh fruits and processed products around the world.The high incidence of mango allergy,on the other hand,has sparked widespread concern.Therefore,a summary and analysis of the current status and issues in mango allergen research can guide in-depth study on the mechanism of mango allergy and reveal effective desensitization methods.We described the incidence of fruit allergy,as well as the mechanism and clinical symptoms of mango allergy,in this review.We also looked into the structural properties of mango allergens,the effect of processing methods on mango allergens,prediction methods for mango allergen epitopes,and the current state of research on mango cross-reactive allergens and preventive measures.Finally,the research directions and ideas for the future are proposed and discussed.

Validation of Molecular Detection Methods for Gluten Allergens in Infant Formula

[Objectives]To verify the specificity,sensitivity,precision and negative-positive deviation of the foodproof gluten component de-tection kit for the detection of gluten allergens in milk powder matrix,and to establish a real-time fluorescent PCR legal method for the detec-tion of gluten allergens in milk powder.[Methods]The specificity,sensitivity,precision and negative-positive deviation of the detection method of foodproof gluten component detection kit(PCR-probe method)were verified by artificially adding different concentrations of wheat bran and extracting sample DNA by kit method,and applied to sample detection.[Results] The specific detection results of two kinds of milk powder with wheat bran and buckwheat added showed that the foodproof gluten component detection kit(PCR-probe method)had good speci-ficity for wheat gluten.The results of artificially added wheat bran positive samples showed that the false positive rate and false negative rate of the kit in the milk powder matrix were O,and the sensitivity and precision were high.[Conclusions]The kit is simple to operate and has high accuracy,which is suitable for the detection of gluten allergen components in milk powder.

The detection and regulation advances of food allergens

Food allergy has become an important food quality and safety issue,posing a challenge to the food industry and affecting consumer health.On the one hand,from the perspective of food processing industry,the diversity of food raw material ingredients,exogenous additives,and processing forms make the presence of allergens in modern food processing more complex.In addition,due to the lack of allergen identification,effective detection and allergenicity evaluation systems,there are serious deficiencies in the current theories and techniques for food allergen screening and detection,tracking and prediction,intervention and control;On the other hand,from the perspective of public health,meeting consumers'right to know whether there are raw materials containing food allergens in processed foods,and improving the credibility of government and people's satisfaction have become urgent matters;In addition,as people come into contact with more and more new borne novel foods,the probability of food allergy is also increasing.The food safety and health problems induced by increasingly complex,widespread and severe food allergy are difficult to avoid.In view of this,in response to the increasingly serious food allergy issues,this paper introduced the detection methods of food allergens,summarized the reduction and control techniques of food allergens,and elaborated hypoallergenic foods,which aims to provide the basis for preventing and controlling food allergy and ensuring the physical health of food allergy patients.

Allergenicity mitigation strategies of seafood allergens for hypoallergen

Introduction Seafood is a widely consumed and nutritionally rich food source,but it ranks among the top allergens,with shellfish and fish being major triggers of allergic reactions.These reactions,primarily caused by proteins such as tropomyosin(TM)in shellfish and parvalbumin(PV)in fish,can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis in susceptible individuals.The development of hypoallergenic seafood is becoming increasingly important to provide safe alternatives for those with seafood allergies.This comment reviews recent advances in allergenicity mitigation strategies,highlighting the progress made and future potential in producing hypoallergenic seafood products.

Major allergens in 8 types of allergenic foods and allergen detection techniques

In recent years,the prevalence of allergens in food warning notices,both domestically and internationally,has become the second leading concern after microbial contamination.Among the various factors that threaten human health reported by the World Health Organization,food allergy ranks fourth,and food allergy has become a global security problem.As of now,no definitive treatment for food allergies exists,making the avoidance of allergen-containing foods the most effective prevention method.Consequently,labeling foods with allergen information serves as a crucial warning for allergic populations.Moreover,to enhance comprehension of food allergies,this article provides a brief overview of their definition and sensitization mechanisms.The main focus lies in highlighting the structure of primary allergens found in eight commonly allergenic foods and the resulting clinical symptoms they cause.Additionally,a summary of commonly employed allergen detection techniques is presented,with an analysis of their principles,advantages,and limitations.Looking ahead,the integration of diverse technological approaches to establish an efficient,accurate,and affordable allergen detection method remains a significant trend.This article has certain reference value for understanding the direction of food allergies.

Adulteration detection of plant protein beverages by UPLC-MS/MS based on signature peptide of allergen

Plant protein beverage adulteration occurs frequently,which may cause health problems for consumers due to the hidden allergens.Hence,a novel method was developed for authentication by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS).Almond,peanut,walnut and soybean were hydrolyzed,followed by separation by NanoLC-Triple TOF MS.The obtained fingerprints were identified by ProteinPilotTM combined with Uniprot,and 16 signature peptides were selected.Afterwards,plant protein beverages treated by trypsin hydrolysis were analyzed with UPLC-MS/MS.This method showed a good linear relationship with R2>0.99403.The limit of quantification(LOQ)were 0.015,0.01,0.5 and 0.05 g/L for almond,peanut,walnut and soybean,respectively.Mean recoveries ranged from 84.77%to 110.44%with RSDs<15%.The developed method was successfully applied to the adulteration detection of 31 plant protein beverages to reveal adulteration and false labeling.Conclusively,this method could provide technical support for authentication of plant protein beverages to protect the rights and health of consumers.

Dietary polyphenols reduced the allergenicity ofβ-lactoglobulin via non-covalent interactions:a study on the structure-allergenicity relationship

Studies showed that complexation of polyphenols with milk allergens reduced their immunogenic potential.However,the relationship between structures of polyphenols and their hypoallergenic effects on milk allergens in association with physiological and conformational changes of the complexes remain unclear.In this study,polyphenols from eight botanical sources were extracted to prepare non-covalent complexes withβ-lactoglobulin(β-LG),a major allergen in milk.The dominant phenolic compounds bound toβ-LG with a diminished allergenicity were identified to investigate their respective role on the structural and allergenic properties ofβ-LG.Extracts from Vaccinium fruits and black soybeans were found to have great inhibitory effects on the IgE-and IgG-binding abilities ofβ-LG.Among the fourteen structure-related phenolic compounds,flavonoids and tannins with larger MWs and multi-hydroxyl substituents,notably rutin,EGCG,and ellagitannins were more potent to elicit changes on the conformational structures ofβ-LG to decrease the allergenicity of complexedβ-LG.Correlation analysis further demonstrated that a destabilized secondary structure and protein depolymerization caused by polyphenol-binding were closely related to the allergenicity property of formed complexes.This study provides insights into the understanding of structure-allergenicity relationship ofβ-LG-polyphenol interactions and would benefit the development of polyphenol-fortified matrices with hypoallergenic potential.

Characterization of physicochemical and immunogenic properties of allergenic proteins altered by food processing:a review

Food allergens are mainly naturally-occurring proteins with immunoglobulin E(IgE)-binding epitopes.Understanding the structural and immunogenic characteristics of allergenic proteins is essential in assessing whether and how food processing techniques reduce allergenicity.We here discuss the impacts of food processing technologies on the modification of physicochemical,structural,and immunogenic properties of allergenic proteins.Detection techniques for characterizing changes in these properties of food allergens are summarized.Food processing helps to reduce allergenicity by aggregating or denaturing proteins,which masks,modifies,or destroys antigenic epitopes,whereas,it cannot eliminate allergenicity completely,and sometimes even improves allergenicity by exposing new epitopes.Moreover,most food processing techniques have been tested on purified food allergens rather than food products due to potential interference of other food components.We provide guidance for further development of processing operations that can decrease the allergenicity of allergenic food proteins without negatively impacting the nutritional profile.

Allergen degradation of bee pollen by lactic acid bacteria fermentation and its alleviatory effects on allergic reactions in BALB/c mice

Food allergy as a global health problem threatens food industry.Bee pollen(BP)is a typical food with allergenic potentials,although it performs various nutritional/pharmacological functions to humans.In this study,lactic acid bacteria(LAB)were used to ferment Brassica napus BP for alleviating its allergenicity.Four novel allergens(glutaredoxin,oleosin-B2,catalase and lipase)were identified with significant decreases in LAB-fermented BP(FBP)than natural BP by proteomics.Meanwhile,metabolomics analysis showed significant increases of 28 characteristic oligopeptides and amino acids in FBP versus BP,indicating the degradation of LAB on allergens.Moreover,FBP showed alleviatory effects in BALB/c mice,which relieved pathological symptoms and lowered production of allergic mediators.Microbial high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that FBP could regulate gut microbiota and metabolism to strengthen immunity,which were closely correlated with the alleviation of allergic reactivity.These findings could contribute to the development and utilization of hypoallergenic BP products.

A Study on Pollen Allergens in China

Objective Allergic disease caused by airborne pollen is a major health problem in China. Intensive study on pollen allergens can be of great help for preventing and treating pollinosis. Four aspects of the study on pollen allergens in China including major allergic pollen in our country, analysis and purification of pollen allergen composition, recombinant pollen allergens and clinical application of pollen allergens are described in this paper.

Analysis of Allergens in 5473 Patients with Allergic Diseases in Harbin, China

Objective To analyze the allergic status to common inhalant allergens and food allergens in clinical patients in Harbin in northeastern China and provide evidence to develop the prevention strategy of allergic disease. Methods The data were collected from 5 473 patients with clinical suspected allergic diseases seeking medical care in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. Among these patients, 2 530 （46.2%） were males aged 0-86 years, the youngest was only 1 month old and 2 579 （47.1%） were young children and teenagers. The serum specific Immunoglobulin E （slgE） to 14 kinds of common allergens and serum total IgE were detected by using AllergyScreen test （Mediwiss Analytic GmbH, Moers, Germany）. Results In 5 473 subjects the positive rate of slgE was 33.1% （n=1 813）. Cow milk （6.9%） and wheat （3.1%） were the most common food allergens, followed by house dust mite mix （12.5%） and mould mix （9.4%） and the age and gender specific differences in the positive rate were significant. For the children aged 〈7 years the positive rates to cow milk, beef-mutton, and egg white/egg yolk were high, but the positive rates to house dust mite mix, ragweed estragon, and mould mix were low （P〈0.05）. For the adults the positive rates to aeroallergens were high while the rates to food allergens were low. Conclusion The results from this study showed that the food allergens in Harbin had geographic characteristics, which support the viewpoint that the environment factors play an important role in the incidence of allergic diseases. Also, the detection of slgE and total IgE are essential to identify relevant allergens for the purpose of early diagnosis, management and prevention of allergic disease.

Cross-reactivity between aeroallergens and food allergens

In patients with respiratory allergy,cross-reactivity between aeroallergens and foods may induce food allergy,symptoms ranging from oral allergy syndrome to severe anaphylaxis.Clinical entities due to Ig E sensitization to cross-reactive aeroallergen and food allergen components are described for many sources of plant origin(pollen-food syndromes and associations,such as birch-apple,cypress-peach and celery-mugwortspice syndromes,and mugwort-peach,mugwortchamomile,mugwort-mustard,ragweed-melon-banana,goosefoot-melon associations),fungal origin(Alternariaspinach syndrome),and invertebrate,mammalian or avian origin(mite-shrimp,cat-pork,and bird-egg syndromes).Clinical cases of allergic reactions to ingestion of food products containing pollen grains of specific plants,in patients with respiratory allergy to Asteraceae pollen,especially mugwort and ragweed,are also mentioned,for honey,royal jelly and bee polen dietary supplements,along with allergic reactions to foods contaminated with mites or fungi in patients with respiratory allergy to these aeroallergens.Medical history and diagnosis approach may be guided by the knowledge about the diverse cross-reacting allergens involved,and by the understanding of these clinical entities which may vary significantly or may be overlapping.The association between primary Ig E sensitization with respiratory symptoms to inhaled allergens and food allergy due to cross-reactive allergen components is important to assess in allergy practice.The use of molecular-based diagnosis improves the understanding of clinically relevant Ig E sensitization to cross-reactive allergen components from aeroallergen sources and foods.

Food-borne parasitic zoonosis: Distribution of trichinosis in Thailand

Trichinosis is among the most common food-borne parasitic zoonoses in Thailand and many outbreaks are reported each year. This paper investigates the distribution of the disease in regions of north, north-east, central and south Thailand. Between the earliest recorded of outbreak of trichinosis in Mae Hong Son Province in 1962 and 2006, there have been 135 outbreaks involving 7340 patients and 97 deaths in Thailand. The highest number of cases, 557, was recorded in 1983. Most infected patients were in the 35-44 year age group, and the disease occurred more frequently in men than women during 1962-2003, with no significant sex difference during 2004-2006. Outbreaks were most common in the northern areas, especially in rural areas where raw and under-cooked pork and/or wild animals are eaten. Human infections occur annually in northern Thailand during communal feasts celebrating the Thai New Year. Trichinosis causes have been reported every year, supporting the need for planning education programs.

Detection and inactivation of allergens in soybeans:A brief review of recent research advances

In the last decade,soybean allergies have been on the increases to such an extent that they have now become a public health issue thus prompting more studies and researches on the topic.The allergenicity of soybean is attributed to its protein fraction.The best way to prevent hypersensitive patients from ingesting allergenic compounds is to exclude such soybean allergens from their diet.As a result,it is essential to provide detailed and reliable knowledge of food ingredients.Therefore,precise and reliable approaches for detecting soybean allergens found in various food products must be used.The main way to reduce allergy risk is the identification of allergenic sites in food and their inactivation by various food-processing methods.It has been reported that food processing may lead to the modification of conformational structure of the protein or protein distortion that inhibit the binding of immunoglobulin E(Ig E)to epitopes on food allergens and also the mechanism of allergic reactions.Food processing technologies employed for inactivating allergenic epitopes used thermal and nonthermal techniques.Currently,several detection methods including protein-based and DNA-based approaches using analytical techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),enzyme allergosorbent test(EAST),radioallergosorbent test(RAST),lateral flow immunoassay(LFIA),immunoblotting,realtime polymerase chain reaction(PCR),mass spectrometry and biosensors have been improved for identifying and quantifying these epitopes.This research focused on allergenic proteins of soybean,the most modern approaches for detecting and quantifying these allergens,and finally,the various methods used to inactivate these proteins and their effects on soy allergenicity.

Bio-control of Some Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria by Bacteriophage

In recent years, researchers tended to bring new alternative to biological protective systems used in conservation of food and production of safe food. Use of bacteriophage against to pathogen bacteria in food was the most hopeful system in these methods about bio-control. Controls of bacteriophage for each pathogen species and subspecies and determination of phage-host originality are important because efficient bio-control was achieved. Researches concentrated on some food-borne pathogen bacteria such as E. coli O157：H7, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Listeria. In a consequence of these studies made as in vitro and in vivo, first commercial production of phage which will be used in foods was made in Netherlands. Also, it has been informed that use of phage is cost-efficient alternative as compared with other preservatives. This review, discussed application of bacteriophages as bio-control agents in food and advantages and disadvantages about uses of bacteriophages by taking into account antimicrobial characteristics of them.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of silkworm pupa and its allergenicity evaluation by animal model with different immunization routes

Silkworm pupa is a nourishing food with high nutritional value,but its consumption has been greatly limited given its allergenicity.Enzyme hydrolytic technique is recognized as an effective method to reduce the allergenicity of protein.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effect of enzymolysis on the allergenicity of silkworm pupa.Crude silkworm pupa protein was extracted through alkali extraction and acid precipitation,which included 5 proteins with the molecular weights ranging from 34 kDa to 76 kDa,and silkworm pupa were then hydrolyzed by alkaline protease.The allergenicity of silkworm pupa protein and its enzymatic hydrolysates was evaluated by establishing BALB/c mice model,and the mice were immunized via intragastric gavage and intraperitoneal injection,respectively.The results indicated that the intraperitoneal inj ection immunization route induced more by detecting with antibodies,histamine and Th2-related cytokines.Moreover,mice treated with silkworm pupa protein peptide displayed no obvious allergic symptoms,indicating that enzyme hydrolytic technique could significantly reduce the allergenicity of silkworm pupa.

Structure and allergenicity of a-lactalbumin:effects of ultrasonic prior to glycation and subsequent phosphorylation

Bovineα-lactalbumin(BLA)induced severe cow's milk allergy.In this study,a novel strategy combining ultrasonication,performed before glycation,and phosphorylation was proposed to reduce BLA allergenicity.Result showed that IgE-and IgG-binding capacities and the release rates of histamine and interleukin-6 from RBL-2 H3 were reduced.Moreover,intrinsic fluorescence intensity and surface hydrophobicity were decreased,whereas glycated sites(R10,N44,K79,K108,N102 and K114)and phosphorylated sites(Y36 and S112)of BLA were increased.Minimum allergenicity was detected during BLA treatment after ultrasonic prior to glycation and subsequent phosphorylation because of considerable increase in glycated and phosphorylated sites.Therefore,the decrease in allergenicity of BLA,the effect correlated well with the shielding effect of glycated sites combined with phosphorylated sites and the conformational changes.This study provides important theoretical foundations for improving and using the ultrasonic technology combined with protein modification in allergenic protein processing.

Effect of thermal processing and fermentation with Chinese traditional starters on characteristics and allergenicity of wheat matrix

Wheat allergy has become a serious health threat worldwide and its prevalence has increased alarmingly in the past few years.Factors such as food matrix and food processing may alter the structure of wheat proteins,and hence affect its allergenic properties.However,few reports have focused on the influence of Chinese traditional starter fermentation on wheat allergy.In this study,5 starters from different regions of China were used for fermentation,and protein characteristics were monitored by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electropheresis,and immunoreactivity analyzed by immunoassay with allergenic serum was obtained from New Zealand white rabbits.The allergenicity of steamed and baked matrices was also evaluated.The results showed that the allergenicity of wheat dough was basically increased at the beginning and then decreased during fermentation,but specific trends depend on different starters.With the progress of fermentation,especially as pH value decreased to 3.0-4.0,the allergenicity decreased significantly.Baking and steaming can reduce the allergenicity of wheat matrix,but fermentation is not a key factor affecting the allergenic activity of proteins.Our results can provide a theoretical basis for controlling wheat allergenicity in food proces sing or producing hypoallergenic food.

In Silico Analysis of the Cross-Reactivity of Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Allergens with Other Arthropod Species

This study provided new data in the area of cross-reactivity for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Although the cross-reactivity between the most prominent allergenic proteins of shrimp and other crustaceans has been extensively studied, few data are showing the frequency of arthropod-shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei cosensitization in an in silico analysis. A comparative analysis of “typical and non-typical” shrimp L. vannamei allergens with other species was achieved, revealing new allergens and previously characterized shrimp allergens, which validated the comprehensive identification approach used in this study. Importantly, up to 192, amino acid sequences were identified that had matches to shrimp L. vannamei allergens that matched allergenic proteins in mites, insects, fish, bacteria, mammals, birds, and plants.

Ultrathin metal-organic framework nanosheets (Cu-TCPP)-based isothermal nucleic acid amplification for food allergen detection

The rapid and accurate detection of peanuts and soybeans allergen is important to the food safety. In this study, Cu-TCPP nanosheet, a kind of ultra-thin metal-organic framework(MOF)was synthesized and applied in loop-mediated isothermal amplification(named Cu-TCPP@LAMP), which can inhibit the non-specific amplification by absorbing and precise temperature releasing of single primer. As thus, Cu-TCPP@LAMP can achieve high sensitivity and specific amplification of the target gene. As a result, peanut and soybean allergens genes contained in food were successfully detected with a favorable detection sensitivity(5 ng/μL for peanuts and 10 ng/μL for soybeans)and reliable repeatability(The coefficient of variation was 3.38% for peanuts and 3.33% for soybeans). Moreover, the established method was utilized for detection of several commercial products, and had a high consistency with the standard method. Apart from food allergens, this novel assay can be widely used in other areas, such as pathogen detection, tumor nucleic acid detection and so on.