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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 #150983
Title: REDUCING THE ALLERGENIC PROPERTIES OF PEANUT PROTEINS BY PEROXIDASE

Author
item Chung, Si Yin
item Maleki, Soheila
item Champagne, Elaine

Submitted to: American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2003
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: Chung, S., Maleki, S.J., Champagne, E.T. 2003. Reducing the allergenic properties of peanut proteins by peroxidase. American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstracts. 43.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Peroxidase (POD) is an enzyme known to catalyze the cross-linking of proteins in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Because of this catalytic property, POD has been shown to be capable of reducing the immunogenic properties of milk and soy proteins. The objectives of this study were to determine if POD can reduce the allergenic properties of peanuts and if it can be applied to products such as peanut butter to achieve the same purpose. To perform POD treatment, extracts from raw and roasted defatted peanut meals were incubated with and without POD/hydrogen peroxide in 0.02 M phosphate buffer, pH 7 at 37 oC for 60 min. In addition, POD or no POD/hydrogen peroxide was added to peanut butter slurries and incubated in the same way as described. The treated and untreated samples were then subjected to SDS-PAGE and a competitive ELISA assay, respectively. In the ELISA, a pooled serum containing IgE antibodies from several peanut allergic individuals was used to determine IgE binding (i.e., allergenicity). Results showed that POD treatment led to a significant decrease in the levels of two major peanut allergens (Ara h 1 and Ara h 2) and a reduction in IgE binding. This decrease of allergens occurred in roasted but not in raw peanuts after treatment. Slurries from peanut butter treated with peroxidase also exhibited a similar decrease in the two allergens, but the decrease was less significant when the slurries were concentrated and with matrix particles. It was concluded that POD is capable of reducing the allergenic properties of peanuts and the butter slurries under the conditions that peanuts are roasted and the butter slurries have little matrix effects.