Extraction, isolation, and characterization of globulin proteins from Lupinus albus

Lupin has recently been added to the list of allergens requiring mandatory advisory labeling on foodstuffs sold in the European Union, and since December 2008, all products containing even trace amounts of lupin must be labeled correctly. Lupin globulins consist of two major globulins called α-conglutin (11S and "legumin-like") and β-conglutin (7S and "vicilin-like") and another additional two globulins, γ-conglutin and δ-conglutin, which are present in lower amounts. We report on a methodology to facilitate the extraction of each of these proteins using centrifugation and isolation by anion-exchange chromatography followed by size-exclusion chromatography. The isolated subunits were characterized using reducing and non-reducing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, western blotting, and peptide mass fingerprinting, all of which revealed that the individual protein subunits are highly pure and can be used as immunogens for the production of antibodies specific for each of the conglutin fractions, as well as standards, and the extraction protocol can be used for the selective extraction of each of the subunits from foodstuffs, thus facilitating a highly accurate determination of the lupin concentration. Furthermore, the subunits can be used to elucidate information regarding the toxicity of each of the subunits, by looking at their interaction with the IgE antibodies found in the serum of individuals allergic to lupin, providing critical information for the definition of the requirements of analytical assays for the detection of lupin in foodstuffs.