• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2008

This review was written to introduce updated data on the structure and function of the major milk proteins identified as allergens, the characterization of their epitopes in each allergenic milk proteins, and the reduction of milk protein allergenicity. Most mammalian milk protein, even protein present at low concentration, are potential allergens. Epitopes identified in milk proteins are both conformational(structured epitope) and sequential epitopes(linear epitope), throughout the protein molecules. Epitopes on casein and whey proteins are reported to be sequential epitope and conformational epitopes, respectively. Conformational epitopes on whey protein are changed into sequential epitope by heat denaturation during heat treatment. Several methods have been proposed to reduce allergenicity of milk proteins. Most ideal and acceptable method to make hypoallergenic milk or formula, so far, is the hydrolysis of allergenic milk proteins by enzymes that has substrate specificity, such as pepsin, trypsin, or chymotrypsin. Commercial formulas based on milk protein hydrolysate are available for therapeutic purpose, hypoantigenic formula for infants from families with a history of milk allergy and hypoallergenic formula for infants with existing allergic symptoms.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.128-132
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of peptic and chymotryptic hydrolyses of 7S globulin, the major allergen of soybean protein, on its allergenicity, as measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and to identify the allergenic hydrolyzed fragments of 7S globulin using SDS-PAGE. When 7S globulin was hydrolyzed by pepsin, the allergenicity was reduced by over 50%. However, the allergenicity of 7S globulin reduced by peptic hydrolysis was recovered in the sera from 5 out of 10 patients following sequential chymotryptic hydrolysis. Two fragments, with molecular weights 20-25 and 13-16 kDa, among the hydrolysate of 7S globulin by sequential pepsin and chymotrypsin showed reactivity with sera from 10 soybean-allergenic patients. As a result of the theoretical hydrolyses of ${\beta}$-conglycinin, which is a major protein of 7S globulin, it is suggested that the 20-25 kDa fragments were the fragments of the ${\alpha}$-subunit of ${\beta}$'-conglycinin and that the 10-16 kDa fragments were from the ${\alpha}$'-subunit.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2015

Pregermination treatment of cocoa beans either with the testa, group PCB (+T), or without the testa, group PCB (-T), was studied here to determine whether this treatment (incubation up to 120 h at $25^{\circ}C$) has any effect on the levels of allergenic proteins or on chemical composition. Our proximate analysis included carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. We used western blotting to measure changes in the amounts of allergenic proteins in the cocoa beans during the pregermination treatment. The protein and carbohydrate content of both groups (with or without the testa) decreased slightly during this treatment, whereas lipid content increased. Group PCB (-T) showed more rapid metabolic processes than did group PCB (+T) during the pregermination treatment. Western blot analysis showed that the cocoa beans contained an allergenic protein of ~28 kDa. Removal of the testa strongly reduced the amount of this allergenic protein after 72 h of the pregermination treatment. Generally, the pregermination treatment increased antioxidant activity in both groups. Significant differences in the antioxidant activity were observed between groups PCB (-T) and PCB (+T). Particularly, group PCB (-T) showed high antioxidant activity at 72 h of the pregermination treatment. Thus, the combination of cocoa beans without the testa and pregermination treatment (72 h) seems to be the optimal method for production of hypoallergenic cocoa beans rich in antioxidants for patients with allergic disorders.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-8
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• 2013

Buckwheat is known as a health food but is one of the major food allergens triggering potentially fatal anaphylaxis in Asia, especially in Japan and Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristic of enzymatic resistance of buckwheat protein and allergenic potential. Enzymatic resistance of buckwheat protein was performed with in vitro digestibility test in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), pH 1.2, using pepsin and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) using chymotrypsin. Reactivity of buckwheat proteins to human IgE was performed using six allergic patients sensitized to buckwheat. Buckwheat's IgE levels were measured using the Phadia UniCAP-system. Buckwheat protein, 16 kDa, still remained after 30 min treatment of pepsin on SDS-PAGE. Even though 16 kDa almost disappeared after 60 min treatment, two out of the six buckwheat patients' sera showed reactivity to hydrolysate after 60 min treatment, indicating that allergenicity still remained. In simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) using chymotrypsin, buckwheat protein, 24 kDa, showed resistance to hydrolysis with chymotrypsin on SDS-PAGE, and still had allergenicity based on the result of ELISA. Our results suggest that buckwheat proteins have strong resistance to enzyme degradation. This may be attributed in part to the allergenic potential of buckwheat. Further study should be continued regarding buckwheat allergy.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2013

Nuts are one of the most common sources of allergies in individuals of all ages. In order for a particular protein to render an allergic reaction, it must resist proteolytic digestion by intestinal enzymes. In this study, three well-known allergenic nuts, almonds, cashew nuts, and peanuts, were used as samples, and enzyme digestion with Bacillus protease and porcine pepsin was tested. A proteomic approach using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and an MS/MS analysis was applied to visualize and identify the proteins that were resistant to enzyme digestion. Among the 150 protein spots tested, 42 proteins were assigned functions. Due to the lack of genomic databases, 41% of the identified proteins were grouped as hypothetical. However, 12% of them were well-known allergens, including AraH. The remainder were grouped as storage, enzymes, and binding proteins.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.317-322
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• 2006

Soybeans are well-known as allergenic foods. Koreans consume large amounts of soybean foods, such as kochujang, which have gone through the fermentation process. To lower the allergenicity of these foods, we prepared hypo allergenic kochujang with aloe extract (AK). A sensory evaluation was conducted along with a clinical evaluation that used a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) test These tests were designed to evaluate the acceptability of the fermented foods. In comparison to normal kochujang (NK), AK elicited a higher sensory test score, and the rate of positive reactions in atopic dermatitis patients during the DBPCFC test was reduced. Methods of protein extraction, protein quantitation with sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and protein identification using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis were performed for both NK and AK to compare the functional factors. We found a reduction in the levels of high molecular proteins even though the bands of the proteins had not entirely disappeared, indicating that the boiling and fermentation process changed the soybean protein patterns. The rate of the reduction of high molecular proteins was more effective in the AK. In conclusion, AK can be recognized as a food with hypoallergenic effect.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.253.2-253
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• 2001

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.67-70
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• 2007

Mackerel (Scomber japonicus) often causes severe allergic reactions in sensitive people. Food containing undeclared mackerel may pose a risk to such people. The major allergenic protein in fish such as mackerel, codfish, and Alaska pollack has been found to be parvalbumin. In this study, we developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect mackerel DNA using primers corresponding to the parvalbumin gene. We cloned and sequenced 1.5 kb of parvalbumin gene by PCR using mackerel genomic DNA as a template. Nucleotide sequence analysis of genomic parvalbumin gene, composed of 4 exons and 3 introns, allowed the selection of two pairs of oligonucleotide primers specific for mackerel. These primers successfully enabled PCR amplification of specific regions of genomic parvalbumin DNA from mackerel, but no amplification from 8 other fish samples, surimi, and 6 boiled fish pastes. The sensitivity of this method was sufficient to detect 5 ng of purified mackerel DNA mixed with 50 ng of surimi DNA. This rapid and specific method for the detection of allergenic mackerel would be beneficial in reducing food allergy caused by the ingestion of hidden allergen in processed food.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.184-190
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• 1999

Soybean protein consists of two major components $\beta$-conglycinin and glycinin which together consti-tute 70% of the total seed storage protein at maturity. $\beta$-Conglycinin is trimeric glycoprotein and for-med by the assembly of various combinations of three subunits $\alpha$,$\alpha$' and $\beta$ which have molecular weig-hts of 69,000, 72,000 and 42,000, respectively. Recently $\beta$-conglycinin was identified as powerful LDL lip-oprotein receptor activation hypercholesterolemia and major allergenic proteins. To investigate these reasons we constructed an expression system of cDNA encoding $\alpha$-subunit of $\beta$-conglycinin in Escherichia coli and purified the expressed protein. The pro-$\beta$-conglycinin synthesized in Escherichia coli BL 21 (DE3)comprised approximately 15% of the total bacterial proteins and the expressed protein are formed sol-uble and trimer such as native protein in Escherichia coli cells. The highly expressed protein was purified to homogeneity by salt precipitation with 20~40 % ammonium sulfate ion-exchange chromatography with Q-sepharose and hydrophobic column chromatography with Butyltoyopearl.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.316-323
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• 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the potential allergenicity and oral toxicity of the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) protein expressed in Zoysia japonica, a herbicide-tolerant genetically modified (GM) zoysiagrass. In silico analysis of PAT showed no similarities with any known allergenic or toxic proteins, with <35% amino acid sequence homology with known allergens across a length of 80 amino acids and no continuous eight amino acid identity with known allergens. The PAT protein expressed in Z. japonica degraded very rapidly in the simulated gastric fluid in the presence of pepsin, and, no glycosylation of PAT was observed. The oral toxicity test revealed no mortality or toxic effect in mice following PAT administration at 4,000 mg/kg body weight. Our findings indicate that the PAT protein expressed in Zoysia japonica does not exhibit allergenic or toxic properties.