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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 #246405
Title: Use of pulsed ultraviolet light to reduce the allergenic potency of soybean extracts.

Author
item YANG, W - University Of Florida
item Chung, Si Yin
item AJAYI, O - University Of Alabama
item KRISHNAMURPHY, K - Illinois Institute Of Technology
item KONAN, K - University Of Alabama
item GOODRICH-SCHNEIDER, R - University Of Florida

Submitted to: International Journal of Food Engineering
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2010
Publication Date: 6/2/2010
Citation: Yang, W., Chung, S., Ajayi, O., Krishnamurphy, K., Konan, K., Goodrich-Schneider, R. 2010. Use of pulsed ultraviolet light to reduce the allergenic potency of soybean extracts. International Journal of Food Engineering. 6(3)article 11:1-2.

Interpretive Summary: Soybean allergy is common among people. The culprit is the soy proteins which are allergens. Numerous methods have been established to reduce the allergenic potency of soy extracts. In this study, we reported using pulsed ultraviolet light (PUV) for that purpose. PUV is a non-thermal technology, and a type of irradiation that has been successfully used to sterilize fruits, vegetables, and other food products. PUV is also known to inactivate enzymes, indicating that it could make proteins unfold and precipitate as insoluble by-products. Based on this concept, PUV was used in this study to treat soybean extracts. The objective was to determine if PUV would make soy allergens become insoluble aggregates, and if the treatment results in a reduction of the allergenic potency of the soy extract. Allergens from PUV-treated soy extracts were analyzed, using techniques of gel electrophoresis and immunochemical detection, with a pooled serum from soybean-allergic patients. Results showed that PUV reduced both the level of soy allergens, and allergenic capacity of soy extracts. We concluded that PUV was effective in reducing the allergenic potency of soy extracts. If confirmed by clinical studies, the research would potentially lead to the development of less allergenic soy products and beverages.

Technical Abstract: Pulsed ultraviolet light (PUV), a non-thermal food processing technology, is reported to be able to inactivate enzymes and reduce allergen levels from peanut extracts. The objective of this study was to determine if PUV would reduce the allergen levels and allergenic potency of soy extracts. Soy extracts were treated with PUV at various times (2, 4 and 6 min), centrifuged, and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and an indirect ELISA for IgE binding (i.e., allergenic potency). Results showed that PUV treatment led to an increase in sample temperature/weight loss, but a decrease in the levels of soy allergens (i.e., glycinin and ß-conglycinin), as shown in SDS-PAGE. Allergens were reduced probably through aggregation, which increased with treatment time. IgE binding was reduced as well in the following order: 20%, 44% and 50% reductions in absorbance values at 2, 4, 6 minutes, respectively, (the latter two were not significantly different (p < 0.05%) from each other). It was concluded that PUV was capable of reducing the allergenic potency of soy extracts, and that the optimal PUV treatment time was 4 minutes. Clinical data is still needed before PUV can find an application in the development of less allergenic soybean beverages and products.