Heat/non-heat treatment alleviate β-conglycinin-triggered food allergy reactions by modulating the Th1/Th2 immune balance in a BALB/c mouse model.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing popularity of plant protein-based diets, soy proteins are favored as the most important source of plant protein worldwide. However, potential food allergy risks limit their use in the food industry. This work aims to reveal the mechanism of β-conglycinin-induced food allergy, and to explore the regulatory mechanism of heat treatment and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment in a BALB/c mouse model.

RESULTS: Our results showed that oral administration of β-conglycinin induced severe allergic symptoms in BALB/c mice, but these symptoms were effectively alleviated through heat treatment and HHP treatment. Moreover, β-conglycinin stimulated lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation, a large number of cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-13 were released and IFN-γ secretion was inhibited, which disrupted the Th1/Th2 immune balance and promoted the differentiation and proliferation of naive T cells into Th2-type cells.

CONCLUSION: Heat/non-heat treatment altered the conformation of soybean protein, which significantly reduced allergic reactions in mice. This regulatory mechanism may be associated with the Th1/Th2 immune balance. Our results provide data support for understanding the changes in allergenicity of soybean protein within the food industry. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.