Almond (Prunus dulcis) allergen Pru du 8, the first member of a new family of food allergens.
An almond allergen with 2 known short peptide sequences was reported as the almond 2S albumin but was later suspected to be almond vicilin. However, this allergen was designated by WHO/IUIS. This study aimed to determine the true identity of this elusive almond allergen. cDNAs were synthesized from total RNA of the Nonpareil almond. The […]
Almond Consumption and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Evidence suggests that eating nuts may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating almond consumption and risk factors for CVD. MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau, and previous systematic reviews were searched from 1990 through June 2017 for RCTs of ≥3 wk […]
Mutation of a bHLH transcription factor allowed almond domestication
Wild almond species accumulate the bitter and toxic cyanogenic diglucoside amygdalin. Almonddomestication was enabled by the selection of genotypes harboring sweet kernels. We report the completion of the almond reference genome. Map-based cloning using an F1 population segregating for kernel taste led to the identification of a 46-kilobase gene cluster encoding five basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, bHLH1 to bHLH5. Functional characterization demonstrated that bHLH2 […]
The association between metabolic syndrome and peanuts, pine nuts, almonds consumption: The Ansan and Ansung Study.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported an inverted relationship between nut consumption and the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The present study investigated the incidental risk for MetS according to peanut, almond, and fine nut consumption in the Korean population. METHODS: In a community-based Korean cohort, 5306 Korean adults were divided into four groups according to their […]
Transposons played a major role in the diversification between the closely related almond (Prunus dulcis) and peach (P. persica) genomes: Results from the almond genome sequence.
Combining both short and long-read sequencing, we have estimated the almond Prunus dulcis cv. Texas genome size in 235 Mbp and assembled 227.6 Mb of its sequence. The highly heterozygous compact genome of Texas comprises eight chromosomes, to which we have anchored over 91% of the assembly. We annotated 27,042 protein-coding genes and 6,800 non-coding […]
Defining the sensory profiles of raw almond (Prunus dulcis) varieties and the contribution of key chemical compounds and physical properties.
This study describes the sensory composition of commercial sweet almond varieties across two California growing seasons. It also discusses the relationship between sensory attributes and chemical and physical measures. Raw, whole almonds (43 samples each of 13 varieties in 2015 and 40 samples each of 10 varieties in 2016) were evaluated for their sensory profiles using descriptive […]
Relationships of Water Activity and Moisture Content to the Thermal Inactivation Kinetics of Salmonella in Low-Moisture Foods.
The enhanced thermal resistance of Salmonella in low-moisture foods (LMFs) presents a challenge when validating pathogen control processes. Product water is recognized as a controlling factor in thermal inactivation of Salmonella in or on LMFs, such as almonds. Water activity (aw) describes the state of water in a product; however, aw is temperature dependent and […]
Polyphenols in Almond Skins after Blanching Modulate Plasma Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Healthy Humans.
Almond skins are a waste byproduct of blanched almond production. Polyphenols extracted from almond skins possess antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we examined the pharmacokinetic profile of almond skin polyphenols (ASP) and their effect on measures of oxidative stress. In a randomized crossover trial, seven adults consumed two acute ASP doses (225 […]
A randomized, controlled trial on the effects of almonds on lipoprotein response to a higher carbohydrate, lower fat diet in men and women with abdominal adiposity.
BACKGROUND: Almonds have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol but there is limited information regarding their effects on the dyslipidemia characterized by increased levels of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles that is associated with abdominal adiposity and high carbohydrate intake. The objective of the present study was to […]
Analysis of Oral Food Challenge Outcomes in IgE-mediated Food Allergies to Almond in a Large Cohort.
BACKGROUND: While almond-specific IgE-mediated food allergies have traditionally been equated with other tree nut allergies, outcomes of oral food challenges to almond and the utility of clinical testing to predict IgE-mediated almond hypersensitivity is not well known. OBJECTIVE: To describe almond oral challenge outcomes and assess the predictive value of clinical testing. METHODS: 603 almond […]