Impact of cold plasma processing on major peanut allergens

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Allergen Research
• Plasma Technology

Background:

• Cold plasma is a novel food processing technology with potential for allergen reduction.
• Limited data exists on cold plasma's efficacy and mechanisms for reducing food allergens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of cold plasma on major peanut allergens (Ara h 1 and Ara h 2).
• To explore the mechanisms behind cold plasma-induced allergenicity reduction.

Main Methods:

• Peanut samples (whole peanut and defatted peanut flour) treated with atmospheric air cold plasma.
• Analysis using SDS-PAGE for protein solubility, ELISA for antigenicity, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy for structural changes.

Main Results:

• Cold plasma treatment reduced the solubility of peanut allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 2.
• Significant reduction in antigenicity observed, up to 66% for Ara h 2 from defatted peanut flour.
• CD spectroscopy indicated structural modifications in allergens, correlating with reduced antigenicity.

Conclusions:

• Cold plasma is effective in reducing peanut allergen solubility and antigenicity.
• Plasma-induced structural changes in allergens are responsible for reduced allergenicity.
• This technology offers a promising approach for mitigating peanut allergenicity in food.