Reducing the allergenic capacity of peanut extracts and liquid peanut butter by phenolic compounds

Phenolic compounds are known to form soluble and insoluble complexes with proteins. The objective of this study was to determine if phenolics such as caffeic, chlorogenic and ferulic acids form insoluble and irreversible complexes with major peanut allergens, and if such complexation reduces immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding. After adding each of the phenolics to peanut extracts and liquid peanut butter, the soluble materials were analysed by SDS–PAGE and inhibition ELISA. Results showed that addition of the phenolics precipitated most of the major peanut allergens, Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, and that complexation was irreversible. IgE binding was reduced approximately 10- to 16-fold. We concluded that reducing IgE binding by phenolics is feasible. The research, if proven by clinical studies, could lead to the development of less allergenic liquid peanut-based products.     

Mitigation of Major Peanut Allergens by Pulsed Ultraviolet Light

Peanut allergy represents one of the most severe IgE-mediated reactions with food, but to date, the only effective way to prevent peanut allergy is total avoidance. If allergens could be mitigated during food processing before a product reaches the consumer, this would substantially lessen the food allergy problem. The efficacy of pulsed ultraviolet light (PUV), a novel food processing technology, on reducing peanut allergens, was examined. This study revealed for the first time that PUV was also capable of deactivating Ara h 2, the most potent allergenic protein of peanut. Protein extracts from raw and roasted peanuts were treated for 2, 4, and 6?min and peanut butter slurry was treated for 1, 2, and 3?min in a Xenon Steripulse XL 3000? PUV system. The distance from the central axis of the lamp was varied at 10.8, 14.6, and 18.2?cm. The SDS?CPAGE showed a reduction in the protein band intensity for Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3 at the energy levels ranging from 111.6 to 223.2?J/cm². Reduction of the protein band intensity for peanut allergens increased with treatment time but decreased with increased distance from the PUV lamp. The ELISA for peanut extracts and peanut butter slurry showed a reduction in IgE binding of up to 12.9- and 6.7-folds, respectively, compared to control.     

Enzymatic treatment of peanut butter to reduce the concentration of major peanut allergens

This study investigated the effects of enzymatic treatment of peanut butter on two‐major peanut allergens (Ara h 1 and Ara h 2). Home‐made and commercial peanut butter samples were treated with alpha‐chymotrypsin, trypsin or the combination of these enzymes and incubated at room temperature for 24 h or at 37 °C for 3 h. Treated peanut butter samples were sampled weekly for evaluation of total soluble proteins and extractable Ara h 1/Ara h 2. Data show that 1:1 alpha‐chymotrypsin: trypsin at 0.04% of enzyme‐to‐peanut butter ratio resulted in near complete reduction of extractable Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 respectively. Treatment of peanut butter with a combination of trypsin and alpha‐chymotrypsin resulted in a decrease in IgE‐binding, suggesting that enzymatic treatment has the potential to reduce the allergenicity. However, clinical tests are needed to confirm any reduction in allergenic potential. The amount of water used to disperse enzyme did not have significant effect on allergen reduction but affected the consistency and colour of treated products, especially when the amount of water added was above 5% of peanut butter weight.     

Polyphenol oxidase/caffeic acid may reduce the allergenic properties of peanut allergens

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzes the oxidation of tyrosine residues of proteins and, therefore, their cross‐linking. Previously we demonstrated that cross‐links produced by peroxidase (POD), which also catalyzes tyrosine oxidation, led to a reduction in the allergenic properties of peanut allergens. 11 We postulated in this study that PPO can also reduce the allergenic properties by cross‐linking the allergens. Because caffeic acid, a phenolic compound, can cross‐link proteins, its effect on peanut allergens was also examined. In the experiments, peanut extracts were treated with and without PPO, PPO/caffeic (pH 8, 37 °C for 1 h) and caffeic acid (pH 10.5, overnight), respectively. The samples were then analyzed for cross‐links and IgE binding by SDS‐PAGE, Western blots, and competitive inhibition ELISA. Results showed that, in all cases, cross‐links and a decrease of the levels of two peanut major allergens, Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, were observed. Of the three treatments, PPO/caffeic was the most effective in reducing IgE binding or the allergenic properties of peanut allergens. The availability of tyrosine residues was also demonstrated in a POD‐treated system, using a monoclonal antibody against dityrosine. We concluded that PPO/caffeic acid reduced the allergenic properties of Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 by cross‐linking and decreasing the levels of allergens. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Digestibility of peanut and hazelnut allergens investigated by a simple in vitro procedure

 Stability under digestion is thought to be an important prerequisite determining the allergenicity of food proteins. To test this hypothesis, two important allergenic plant-derived foods were selected for this investigation. Protein extracts from roasted peanuts and unprocessed (native) hazelnuts were digested by a static, two-step in vitro procedure with commercial enzyme tablets containing peptic and pancreatic enzymes, respectively. The food extracts were subjected to gastric digestion for 2 h followed by a 45-min treatment under duodenal conditions. Undigested control samples and the two digests were investigated by analytical sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), by SDS-PAGE immunoblotting, by an enzyme allergosorbent test (EAST) with human IgE, and by a rat basophil leukaemia (RBL) cell mediator release assay that depends on specific IgE raised in mice. Peanut proteins appeared to be more stable under digestion than hazelnut proteins, as shown by electrophoresis. These results were also underlined by immunblot data. The gastric digest from peanut contained various protein fragments that were detected by antibodies from a peanut-specific rabbit antiserum and by IgE from patients allergic to peanuts. These immunoblot reactivities decreased strongly after subsequent pancreatic digestion. In the gastric digest from hazelnuts, a rabbit antiserum with a broad reactivity against native hazelnut proteins exclusively recognized small protein fragments of <15 kDa. This serum showed no binding to blots of the pancreatic digest. Sera from hazelnut-allergic patients presented IgE reactivities to an 18-kDa major allergen with homology to major tree-pollen allergens, to a minor allergen of 12 kDa, and to multiple bands  1 30 kDa in native hazelnut extract. No binding was observed with these sera on blot strips of the two digests prepared from hazelnut extract. Under the native conditions of EAST, both digests from peanuts strongly reacted with human IgE. Their IgE binding capacity persisted at a level of about 50% when compared to undigested peanut. In the case of hazelnuts the IgE reactivity of the untreated samples was reduced to <10% by both gastric and combined gastric/duodenal digestion for a serum pool prepared from four patients and sera from three additional participants. By contrast, a constantly high immunoreactivity of the hazelnut digests was detected with serum from one patient. The results of the EAST were confirmed by dose-related mediator release experiments performed with RBL cells passively sensitized with allergen-specific murine IgE. As a whole, our results indicated that the EAST and the RBL cell assay are superior to immunoblotting for the immunologic testing of digests. In accordance with clinical observations, the allergenicity of peanut proteins was very persistent during digestion, whereas the native birch-pollen-related hazelnut allergens appeared to be relatively labile under identical conditions. Received: 6 July 1998     

Effect of Pulsed Ultraviolet Light and High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Antigenicity of Almond Protein Extracts

The efficacy of pulsed ultraviolet light (PUV) and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the IgE binding to the almond extracts was studied using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) probed with human plasma containing IgE antibodies to almond allergens and a polyclonal antibody against almond major protein. Crude almond protein extracts were treated with PUV (3 pulses/s, 10 cm from lamp) for 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 min. In comparison, boiling treatments were also carried out. The HHP treatments were conducted at 600 MPa for 5, 15, and 30 min at three temperatures of 4 °C, 21 °C, and 70 °C. Western blots and indirect ELISA demonstrated a reduction in the levels of allergens and IgE binding in PUV-treated extracts at 7 min, which was found to be the optimal time for PUV exposure. Boiling was not as effective as PUV in reducing the overall IgE-binding of the almond extracts. Unlike PUV, HHP did not affect the allergen levels and IgE binding under the conditions tested.     

Removing peanut allergens by tannic acid

Tannic acid (TA) forms insoluble complexes with proteins. The aims here were to remove major peanut allergens as insoluble TA complexes and determine if they would dissociate and release the allergens at pH 2 and 8 (gut pH). Release of the allergens in the gut could lead to absorption and consequently an allergic reaction. TA (0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/ml) was added to a peanut butter extract (5 mg/ml; pH 7.2), stirred, and centrifuged. The precipitates were then suspended in buffer at pH 2, centrifuged, re-suspended at pH 8, and centrifuged. Supernatants from each step were analysed by SDS–PAGE, ELISA, and Western blots. The effect of NaCl (1 M) on complexes was also determined. Results showed that complexes formed at a TA concentration >0.5 mg/ml did not release major peanut allergens at pH 2 and 8, regardless of 1 M NaCl being present or not. IgE binding of the extracts was reduced substantially, especially at a TA concentration of 1–2 mg/ml. Animal or clinical studies are still needed before TA can find an application in the development of low-allergen peanut products/beverages or the removal of peanut allergens due to accidental ingestion.     

中国花生致敏蛋白的识别

我国对花生过敏方面的研究很少。本实验利用中国常用花生品种识别鉴定了中国主要的致敏蛋白,比较了国内外花生品种致敏蛋白相对含量的差异,期望找到中国花生过敏发病率较低的原因,为临床食物过敏患者的治疗和低过敏花生品种的培育提供理论依据。研究结果表明:Ara h1和三条Ara h3多肽是中国主要的致敏蛋白,并发现了Ara h1的亚基,分子量为58kD的多肽。Ara h1和Ara h3的相对含量各品种之间差异显著,并且低于国外花生品种。因此中国花生主要致敏蛋白相对含量低可能是导致中国花生过敏发病率较低的主要原因。     

Mitigation of peanut allergenic reactivity by combined processing: Pressured heating and enzymatic hydrolysis

Among food allergens, peanut is one of the most critical. This study evaluates peanut allergenic features after the combination of heat, pressure, and enzymatic digestion under sonication, by immunodetection using serum IgE of sensitized patients and mass-spectroscopy. In the studied population, there was a predominance of patients with sensitization to Ara h 9 (nsLTP) followed by sensitization to seed storage proteins (Sprot, Ara h 1, 2, 3, and 6). The Sprot sensitized patients showed higher reactivity. The enzyme E5 was efficient for inducing protein fragmentation and allergenic reactivity reduction when it was used combined with pressured heating treatments such as autoclave and Controlled Instantaneous Depressurization (DIC). Only a few Ara h 1 and Ara h 3 peptides were identified after enzymatic digestion of DIC peanut samples. The combination of pressured heating treatments and enzymatic hydrolysis was the most efficient method to strongly mitigate or even eliminate the allergenic potential of peanut. Our findings set a possibility for a group of patients in which their allergy could be treated with a processed less-allergenic peanut and consequently less risky, more easy and quicker desensitization treatment.Industrial relevanceThe findings identify innovative thermal, pressure and enzymatic processing conditions highly effective to mitigate or even abolish the allergenic potency of peanut, which may be relevant for consumers, clinicians, regulatory agencies and the food industry. The applications of processed peanut with reduced IgE binding potency for tolerance induction might be a convenient strategy.     

Minimal effects of high-pressure treatment on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium inoculated into peanut butter and peanut products

About 1.2 billion pounds of peanut butter are consumed annually in the United States. In 2008 to 2009, an outbreak involving Salmonella Typhimurium in peanut butter led to a recall of over 3900 products by over 200 companies. More than 700 people became sick, 100 were hospitalized, and 9 people died from this outbreak. This study examines the efficacy of high-pressure processing (HPP) to decrease S. Typhimurium American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 53647 inoculated into peanut butter and model systems. The viability of S. Typhimurium in peanut butter stored at room temperature was investigated. A culture of S. Typhimurium (6.88 log CFU/g) was inoculated into peanut butter. Following 28 d at 20 °C there was a 1.23-log reduction. Approximately 10(6) to 10(7) CFU/g S. Typhimurium were inoculated into 4 brands of peanut butter, 3 natural peanut butters and peanut flour slurries at 2, 5, and 10% peanut flour protein in peanut oil and in distilled water. All were treated at 600 MPa for 5 min at 45 °C. While significant differences were found between natural peanut butter and peanut protein mixtures, the reduction was <1.0 log. The peanut flour/oil mixtures had a 1.7, 1.6, and 1.0-log reduction from HPP (2, 5, and 10% protein, respectively) whereas peanut flour/water mixtures had a 6.7-log reduction for all protein levels. Oil had a protective effect indicating HPP may not help the microbial safety of water-in-oil food emulsions including peanut butter. Practical Application: There have been multiple outbreaks of foodborne illness involving peanut butter products. This study looks at the potential use of high-pressure processing to reduce the bacteria that may be in peanut butter.     

花生过敏原在加工中的变化

简述了花生中主要的过敏原Arah1、Arah2、Arah3和Arah4的一般特征及其所存在的与IgE结合的表位特征,详细介绍了焙烤、风干、水煮和煎炸等加热方法及酶解、研磨、发芽和压榨等加工工艺对花生过敏原的影响,为开发无过敏或低过敏性花生制品提供了一定的科学依据。     

生物膜干涉法检测花生蛋白与花生过敏患者血清IgE的结合能力

探索基于生物膜干涉技术对花生蛋白与花生过敏患者血清中免疫球蛋白E（immunoglobulin E,IgE）的结合能力进行检测的方法。利用链霉亲和素（streptavidin,SA）标记的传感器、生物素化的羊抗人IgE抗体、花生过敏患者血清池以及花生蛋白建立了一种测定花生蛋白与花生过敏患者血清IgE结合能力的新方法,优化检测条件为抗体1∶100稀释后线下固化20?min,血清1∶10稀释后过夜结合,完成传感器修饰。在线洗基线后用质量浓度为1?mg/mL的花生蛋白与传感器结合3?600?s,解离120?s。利用该法对不同热加工后花生蛋白与患者血清IgE的结合能力进行评估,并与常用的酶联免疫吸附实验（enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA）检测进行比较。结果表明,本方法可以直接评估过敏原蛋白与血清IgE的结合能力,与ELISA结果相关系数达到0.91。热加工中,油炸处理提高了花生蛋白的IgE结合能力,水煮和烘烤降低了花生蛋白的IgE结合能力,且去壳热加工比带壳热加工花生的蛋白的IgE结合能力更强。     

Boiling peanut Ara h 1 results in the formation of aggregates with reduced allergenicity

Scope : Roasting rather than boiling and Maillard modifications may modulate peanut allergenicity. We investigated how these factors affect the allergenic properties of a major peanut allergen, Ara h 1. Methods and results : Ara h 1 was purified from either raw (N‐Ara h 1) or roasted (R‐Ara h 1) peanuts. Boiling (100°C 15 min; H‐Ara h 1) resulted in a partial loss of Ara h 1 secondary structure and formation of rod‐like branched aggregates with reduced IgE‐binding capacity and impaired ability to induce mediator release. Glycated Ara h 1 (G‐Ara h 1) formed by boiling in the presence of glucose behaved similarly. However, H‐ and G‐Ara h1 retained the T‐cell reactivity of N‐Ara h 1. R‐Ara h 1 was denatured, comprised compact, globular aggregates, and showed no evidence of glycation but retained the IgE‐binding capacity of the native protein. Conclusion : Ara h 1 aggregates formed by boiling were morphologically distinct from those formed by roasting and had lower allergenic activity. Glycation had no additional effect on Ara h 1 allergenicity compared with heating alone. Taken together with published data on the loss of Ara h 2/6 from boiled peanuts, this supports the hypothesis that boiling reduces the allergenicity of peanuts.     

时间分辨免疫荧光法测定食物中花生过敏原成分

目的:建立双抗体夹心时间分辨荧光免疫法[Time-resolved Fluoroimmunoassay(TRFIA)]测定食物中花生过敏原蛋白成分,为进出口食品中花生过敏原成分检测和由花生导致的食物过敏性疾病的预防提供技术基础。方法:提取花生蛋白,免疫小鼠制备抗花生总蛋白的多克隆抗体,用该抗体包被酶标板,并用生物素标记该多抗作为捕捉抗体,Eu3+标记的链酶亲和素和以β-二酮体为主的增强液等试剂,建立双抗夹心TRFIA方法,检测该方法的灵敏度,同时用于13种食品中花生过敏原蛋白成分检测。结果:初步地研制出双抗体夹心TRFIA法检测食品中花生过敏原蛋白成分,具有特异性,和其最低检出限为0.1ng/mL,标准曲线在0.1～160ng/mL范围内线性良好;11种食品检测结果与食物过敏原标签标注内容相符,而2种标示不详的食品检测结果均呈现阳性。     

原料及热处理对花生致敏性的影响

花生过敏严重影响健康。简述花生中主要过敏原的一般特征,详细介绍了原料及热风干燥、蒸煮、煎炸和焙烤等热处理对花生致敏性的影响,为研究和开发无过敏或低过敏性花生制品提供了一定的科学依据。     

热加工花生的蛋白分离及其过敏原纯化方法研究进展

花生不仅本身是一种营养丰富的食品,而且作为原料或配料广泛应用于食品加工中。然而花生及其制品是FAO/WHO认定的八大类食物过敏原之一,可导致严重的过敏反应,通常伴随终身,甚至危及生命。不同地区的人们食用花生的加工方式不同,其花生过敏的患病率也有所不同,热加工是花生的主要加工方式,因此各类热加工导致的花生致敏性变化成为研究热点。过敏原蛋白的分离作为花生热加工研究中的重要步骤,也变得十分重要。本文主要对常见的3种热加工花生(水煮、油炸和烘烤)中的花生蛋白分离及其过敏原纯化的方法研究进行综述。现有的花生热加工研究中蛋白分离技术主要是通过溶剂浸提;而过敏原纯化技术主要是借助层析法,根据各组分在物理化学性质上的差异进行纯化;此外还可以根据最终研究目的的不同采用其他的辅助方法达到分离纯化效果。通过对现有分离纯化方法进行了解和比较,可为热加工花生过敏原蛋白的分离纯化甚至进一步的分析检测提供理论参考和指导。     

脂质过氧化物对花生过敏原致敏性的影响

目的 阐明加工过程中脂质过氧化物对花生过敏蛋白Ara h 1结构和过敏原性的影响.方法 通过十二烷基硫酸钠聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳技术,圆二色谱法和内源荧光光谱法研究不同脂质过氧化物[2,2-偶氮二(2-甲基丙基咪)二盐酸盐(2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropanimidamide)dihydrochlorid...     

Application of proanthocyanidins from peanut skins as a natural yeast inhibitory agent

Proanthocyanidins were extracted from peanut skins and investigated for their antimicrobial activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Zygosaccharomyces bisporus in traditional growth media (Sabouraud Dextrose and Maltose broth) and a simulated apple juice beverage. Peanut skins extracts (PSE) were prepared through a multisolvent extraction procedure. The PSE extended the lag phase growth of the 3 yeasts studied at a concentration of 1 mg/mL and at 10 mg/mL yeast growth was totally inhibited for 120 h. PSE was fractionated by normal phase high performance liquid chromatography and the active components/fractions were determined. Compounds present in the fractions were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine the compounds responsible for inhibition. Fractions consisting mostly of A-type proanthocyanidin dimers, trimers, and tetramers showed the highest percent inhibition toward the yeasts tested in this study. Both optical density (OD) and standard enumeration plating methods were performed in this study. The OD method led to an overestimation of the inhibitory effects of PSE, the 2 methods agreed in respect to treatment effects but not the severity of the inhibition. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is a growing consumer demand for "fresh like" products containing reduced amounts of chemical preservatives without compromising food safety and quality. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine if an extract of peanut skins containing flavonoid rich compounds could function as a natural antimicrobial in a model beverage system. Proteins were removed through the process of producing the peanut skin extract, thus it is unlikely to contain peanut allergens. The antimicrobial compounds mentioned in this study were successfully integrated into a model beverage system, and were found to have antimicrobial effect. However, the incorporation of these compounds would likely lead to negative sensory attributes at the concentration needed to achieve an appreciable antimicrobial effect alone.     

Ferulic acid enhances IgE binding to peanut allergens in Western blots

Ferulic acid, a phenolic compound, is known to complex with proteins and peanut allergens. Preliminary studies indicated that ferulic acid could also complex with and inhibit IgE antibodies to peanut allergens in ELISA. However, results from Western blots were quite different. The objective of this study was to report the unexpected finding of IgE binding being enhanced rather than reduced by ferulic acid in Western blot. Ferulic acid, at various concentrations (0–10 mg/ml), was mixed with a pooled plasma (containing IgE antibodies) from peanut-allergic individuals before incubation with a peanut allergen-bound membrane and colorimetric detection of IgE. Results showed that an enhancement of allergen bands or IgE binding, compared to the control, was observed at a ferulic concentration of 10 mg/ml. Compounds with a similar structure, such as caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, at the same concentration, did not have an enhancing effect on IgE binding. Tests with ferulic acid alone or soy proteins indicated that the enhanced IgE binding was due to the IgE–ferulic complexes and not ferulic acid itself. It was concluded that ferulic acid (10 mg/ml), in combination with IgE, enhanced IgE binding to peanut allergens in Western blots. The finding indicated that ferulic acid can help reduce the time for colour development of protein bands in Western blots.