Study on the Immunomodulatory Effect of Quercetin Nanoparticles Loaded with Chitosan on a Mouse Model of Ovalbumin-Induced Food Allergy

As a common immune disease, food allergy has become a difficult problem for public health organizations. Food allergies are often accompanied by skin reactions, allergic rhinitis, gastrointestinal diseases, and other complications which can induce anaphylactic shock and even death. However, mechanisms underlying food allergies are not fully understood. Therefore, exploring the mechanism of induction of food allergy is a critical first step toward discovering a future treatment. Here we constructed a quercetin–chitosan nanoplasmid (QT–CS NPs), which can regulate the balance of Th1/Th2 cells, and used it to treat ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergies in mice. The results suggest that compared to natural quercetin, the cytotoxicity of QT–CS NPs was weakened. QT–CS NPs also increased the expression of the Th1 cytokine INF-γ, reduced the secretion of Th2 cytokine IL-4, regulated the balance drift of Th1/Th2 cells in allergic mice, and demonstrated an excellent immunomodulatory effect. Therefore, QT-CS NPs can provide new treatment ideas for the prevention and treatment of food allergy, and this study can lay an experimental foundation for the clinical application of QT-CS NPs.