Effects of Flavourzyme and Alkaline Protease Treatment on Structure and Allergenicity of Peanut Allergen Ara h 1

Research background. Peanut allergy poses a significant threat to human health due to the elevated risk of long-term morbidity at low doses. Modifying protein structure to influence sensitization is a popular topic. Experimental approach. In this study, the purified peanut allergen Ara h 1 was enzymatically hydrolysed using flavorzyme, alkaline protease or a combination of both. The binding ability of Ara h 1 to antibodies, and gene expression and secretion levels of the pro-inflammatory factors IL-5 and IL-6 in Caco-2 cells was measured. Changes in the secondary and tertiary structures before and after treatment with Ara h 1 were carried out by circular dichroism and SDS-PAGE. Results and conclusions. The results indicated a reduction in the allergenicity and pro-inflammatory ability of Ara h 1. The evaluation reveals that the flavorzyme and alkaline protease treatments caused particle shortening and aggregation. The fluorescence emission peak was enhanced, increasing by 3.4-fold upon combined treatment with both proteases. Additionally, the secondary structure underwent changes, and the hydrophobicity also increased (8.95-fold upon combined treatment). Novelty and scientific contribution. These findings provide an effective theoretical basis for developing a new method of peanut desensitization and partially uncovering the mechanism of peanut sensitization.