Purification; crystallization and initial crystallographic characterization of brazil-nut allergen Ber e 2. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun

Peanut and tree-nut allergies have attracted considerable attention because of their frequency and their lifelong persistence. Brazil-nut (Bertholletia excelsa) allergies have been well documented and the 11S legumin-like seed storage protein Ber e 2 (excelsin) is one of the two known brazil-nut allergens. In this study; Ber e 2 was extracted from brazil-nut kernels and […]

Characteristics of in-shell Brazil nuts and their relationship to aflatoxin contamination: criteria for sorting.

External characteristics of in-shell Brazil nuts were evaluated for dimensions (length and face width); weight; chromaticity; and shell thickness. The internal characteristics evaluated were moisture content (mc); aflatoxin contamination (analyzed by LC-MS/MS); and shell/nut ratio. According to their length; Brazil nuts were classified in three groups: I; II; and III; corresponding to large; medium; and […]

Influence of plant lipids on immune responses in mice to the major Brazil nut allergen Ber e 1

BACKGROUND: Lipids; particularly bacterial lipopolysaccharide; can impact on immune responses to proteins; with low doses enhancing type 2 responses. OBJECTIVE: We have examined the influence of natural plant lipid extracts on antibody responses provoked in mice by recombinant Ber e 1; the major allergen in Brazil nuts. METHODS: BALB/c strain mice were immunized (by intraperitoneal […]