In vitro digestibility and immunoreactivity of thermally processed peanut

Abstract

Food processing affects the bioavailability and immunoreactivity of allergens. However, there was a lack of the combined study of the influence of the processing and gastrointestinal digestion on peanut matrix. Digestibility of peanut matrices was assessed by using an in vitro digestion model and monitored by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting with polyclonal antibody and serum from peanut-allergic patients. The IgE-binding ability of digested samples will be assessed by immunoassay. Peanut proteins were digested by pepsin after only 2 min which was accompanied by a loss of high molecular weight proteins and enrichment in polypeptides with molecular weight lower than 10 kDa. Ara h 1 and Ara h 3 were partly proteolysis, and Ara h 2/6 containing a digestion-resistant fragment. All soluble fractions after 120 min gastric digestion reduced a higher IgE-binding ability than that after 10 min. Our findings provide a more realistic picture, considering the role of food processing and food matrix.

Keywords

• food processing
• peanut allergy
• digestion
• allergen