Mass spectrometric analysis of allergens in roasted walnuts.

Thermal processing of allergenic foods can induce changes in the foods' constituent allergens, but the effects of heat treatment are poorly defined. Like other commonly allergenic tree nuts, walnuts often undergo heat treatment (e.g. roasting or baking) prior to consumption. This study evaluated the changes in solubility and detectability of allergens from roasted walnuts using […]

Component-Resolved Diagnosis of Peanut Allergy and Its Possible Origins of Sensitization in China.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and immunological characteristics of food allergies vary depending on geographic regions. Little is known about peanut allergy in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the peanut sensitization profile in China. METHODS: Thirty-eight participants with immunoglobulin E (IgE)-positive responses to peanuts (peanut-sensitized) were included in our study, and clinical characteristics were […]

Diagnostic Value of Antigen-Specific Immunoglobulin E Immunoassays against Ara h 2 and Ara h 8 Peanut Components in Child Food Allergy.

BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergies in children. The diagnostic gold standard is the oral food challenge (OFC). However, OFC has inherent risks and is time consuming. The measurement of specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) to peanut components in blood detects peanut sensitization, but the decision point predicting allergy is still […]

Non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus as potential biocontrol agents to reduce aflatoxin contamination in peanuts harvested in Northern Argentina.

Biological control is one of the most promising strategies for preventing aflatoxin contamination in peanuts at field stage. A population of 46 native Aspergillus flavus nonaflatoxin producers were analysed based on phenotypic, physiological and genetic characteristics. Thirty-three isolates were characterized as L strain morphotype, 3 isolates as S strain morphotype, and 10 isolates did not […]

Associations between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers.

Background: Increased nut consumption has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as a healthy lipid profile. However, the associations between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers are unclear. Objective: We investigated habitual nut consumption in relation to inflammatory biomarkers in 2 large cohorts of US men and women. […]

Greater Adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Physical Function Impairment in the Nurses' Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Physical function is integral to healthy aging, in particular as a core component of mobility and independent living in older adults, and is a strong predictor of mortality. Limited research has examined the role of diet, which may be an important strategy to prevent or delay a decline in physical function with aging. OBJECTIVE: […]

The effect of thermal processing on the behaviour of peanut allergen peptide targets used in multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry experiments.

Mass spectrometry-based methods offer an alternative means of determining allergens in foods. Whilst targeted methods are likely to offer the most robust approach for detection and quantification, little is known about how food processing may affect the behaviour of peptide targets. A systematic study has been undertaken to investigate the effects of thermal processing (boiling, […]

Ana o 1 and Ana o 2 cashew allergens share cross-reactive CD4+ T-cell epitopes with other tree nuts.

BACKGROUND: Allergies to cashew are increasing in prevalence, with clinical symptoms ranging from oral pruritus to fatal anaphylactic reaction. Yet, cashew-specific T-cell epitopes and T-cell cross-reactivity amongst cashew and other tree nut allergens in humans remain uncharacterized. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we characterized cashew specific T-cell responses in cashew allergic subjects and examined cross-reactivity of […]