Enzyme from Pumpkin Relative Shows Promise in Reducing Peanut Allergenicity
Researchers from the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences and Wroclaw Medical University have identified a natural plant enzyme from Cucurbita ficifolia, a relative of the pumpkin, that can significantly reduce the immunoreactivity of major peanut allergens. Published in Food Chemistry, the study demonstrates that this extracellular serine protease hydrolyzes peanut proteins by cleaving peptide bonds, breaking them into smaller fragments and altering epitopes that antibodies recognize. While the enzyme treatment did not eliminate allergic risk entirely, it markedly reduced antibody binding, particularly for major allergens like Ara h 2 and Ara h 6. The study found that longer hydrolysis times and higher temperatures were more effective in reducing immunoreactivity, suggesting that controlled processing conditions are crucial. This research offers a promising biochemical approach for developing food ingredients with reduced allergenic potential, though it does not yet yield an allergen-free...
