Structure-activity relationships for selected fragrance allergens

Fragrance substances represent a very diverse group of chemicals, a proportion of them providing not only desirable aroma characteristics, but also being associated with adverse effects, notably the ability to cause allergic reactions in the skin. However, efforts to find substitute materials are hampered by the need to undertake animal testing to evaluate both the presence and the degree of skin sensitization hazard. One potential route to avoid such testing is to understand the relationships between chemical structure and skin sensitization. In the present work we have evaluated two groups of fragrance chemicals, saturated aldehydes (aryl substituted and aliphatic aldehydes) and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes. Data on their skin sensitization potency defined using the local lymph node assay has been evaluated in relation to their physicochemical properties. The initial outcome has been consistent with the concept that alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes react largely via Michael addition, whilst the group of saturated aldehydes form Schiff bases with proteins. Simple models of chemical reactivity based on these mechanisms suggest that it may be possible to predict allergenic potency. Accordingly, the evaluation of an additional group of similar aldehydes is now underway to assess the robustness of these models, with some emphasis being based on ensuring a wider spread of chemical reactivity.