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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #157980
Title: CAN COMMERCIAL PEANUT ASSAY KITS DETECT PEANUT ALLERGENS?

Author
item NOGUEIRA, MARA - NAT. FOOD PROC. ASSO
item MCDONALD, REGINA - NAT. FOOD PROC. ASSO
item WESTPHAL, CARMEN - NAT. FOOD PROC. ASSO
item YEUNG, JUPITER - NAT. FOOD PROC. ASSO
item Maleki, Soheila

Submitted to: Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2004
Publication Date: 11/1/2004
Citation: Nogueira, M., Mcdonald, R., Westphal, C., Yeung, J., Maleki, S.J. 2004. Can commercial peanut assay kits detect peanut allergens?. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 87(6):1480-1484.

Interpretive Summary: Peanut is the food group mostly associated with severe and fatal allergic reactions. In the United States, more than 90% of peanut allergic individuals' serum IgE recognized peanut proteins Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, therefore, establishing these proteins as major peanut allergens. The amount of Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 in three varieties of peanut cultivars that are commonly processed in the industrialized countries was determined to be 12-16% and 6-9 %, respectively. Current commercial peanut test kits are used to detect all peanut proteins, not just the allergic proteins. It is generally assumed these commercial kits can detect peanut allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, although none of these kits claim to detect peanut allergen. This study showed for the first time that the peanut test kits could in fact detect major peanut allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 2. Therefore, these kits are qualified to be classified as peanut allergen ELISA.

Technical Abstract: Peanut is the food group mostly associated with severe and fatal allergic reactions. In the United States, more than 90% of peanut allergic individuals' serum IgE recognized peanut proteins Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, therefore, establishing these proteins as major peanut allergens. The amount of Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 in three varieties of peanut cultivars that are commonly processed in the industrialized countries was determined to be 12-16% and 6-9 %, respectively. Current commercial peanut test kits use polyclonal peanut-specific antibodies to detect soluble or buffer extractable peanut proteins. Since the two major peanut allergens, Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, are isolated from soluble peanut proteins, it is generally assumed these commercial kits can detect peanut allergens, although none of these kits claim to detect peanut allergen. This study showed for the first time that the peanut test kits could in fact, detect major peanut allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, in both native or heat denatured structures, therefore, these kits qualified to be classified as peanut allergen ELISA.