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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #368638
Research Project: Defining, Measuring, and Mitigating Attributes that Adversely Impact the Quality and Marketability of Foods

Location: Healthy Processed Foods Research

Title: Almond allergens: an update and perspective on identification and characterization

Author
item Zhang, Yuzhu
item JIN, TENGCHUAN - University Of Science And Technology Of China

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/9/2020
Publication Date: 4/29/2020
Citation: Zhang, Y., Jin, T. 2020. Almond allergens: an update and perspective on identification and characterization. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 100(13):4657-4663. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10417.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10417

Interpretive Summary: Tree nuts, as a group, could cause almost as many severe allergy reactions as those caused by peanut. Among tree nuts, almond is one of the most likely culprits to trigger allergic reactions. Almond allergens, though, have not been studied as extensively as peanut allergens and allergens from other selected tree nuts. This work presents an update of the state of molecular characterization of almond allergens. A perspective of identifying and characterizing putative almond allergens was also presented, including the reporting of in silico analysis results that identifies the whole protein sequence of almond '-conglutin which was previously suspected to be a food allergen. Such information may provide guidance to future food allergen researches and accelerate the identification and characterization of novel almond allergens.

Technical Abstract: Almond (Prunus dulcis) production is one of the highest of tree nut productions worldwide and almond is widely used as a human food due to its flavor, nutrients, and health benefits. However, it is also one of the most likely tree nuts to trigger allergic reactions in sensitized and allergic individuals. Almond allergens, though, have not been studied as extensively as peanut allergens and allergens from other selected tree nuts. This work presents an update of the state of molecular characterization of almond allergens to clarify some confusions about the identification of almond allergens in the literature. We also present our perspective of characterizing putative almond allergens that have been reported with preliminary identification. Presently, 5 almond allergens have been designated by the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. These are Pru du 3 (a non-specific lipid transfer protein 1, nsLTP1), Pru du 4 (a profilin), Pru du 5 (60S acidic ribosomal protein 2), Pru du 6 (an 11S legumin known as prunin), and Pru du 8 (an S-S bond reach antimicrobial protein, ssAMP). Besides the above allergens, almond vicilin and almond '-conglutin has been identified as food allergens although further characterization of these allergens is still of interest. In addition, as a misidentification of Pru du 8, almond 2S albumin was reported as a food allergen. and there are other almond proteins that have been referred as allergens based solely on their sequence homology with known food allergens in foods and their belonging to the protein families that contains allergens in many species. These include the pathogenesis related protein-10 (referred as Pru du 1) and the thaumatin-like protein (referred as Pru du 2).