Allergenicity reduction and rheology property of Lactobacillus-fermented soymilk

Emerging Chemical, Biochemical, and Non-Thermal Physical Treatments in the Production of Hypoallergenic Plant Protein Ingredients

Allergies towards gluten and legumes (such as, soybean, peanut, and faba bean) are a global issue and, occasionally, can be fatal. At the same time, an increasing number of households are shifting to plant protein ingredients from these sources, which application and consumption are limited by said food allergies. Children, the elderly, and people with immune diseases are particularly at risk when consuming these plant proteins. Finding ways to reduce or eliminate the allergenicity of gluten, soybean, peanut, and faba bean is becoming crucial. While thermal and pH treatments are often not sufficient, chemical processes such as glycation, polyphenol conjugation, and polysaccharide complexation, as well as controlled biochemical approaches, such as fermentation and enzyme catalysis, are more successful. Non-thermal treatments such as microwave, high pressure, and ultrasonication can be used prior to further chemical and/or biochemical processing. This paper presents an up-to-date review of promising chemical, biochemical, and non-thermal physical treatments that can be used in the food industry to reduce or eliminate food allergenicity.

Effect of different strains on quality characteristics of soy yogurt: Physicochemical, nutritional, safety features, sensory, and formation mechanism

The purpose of the study was to explore effect of four different strains on quality characteristics of soy yogurt. The results showed that four strains were all related to the genus Lactobacillus and N1 was Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, N2 was Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, N3 was Lacticaseibacillus plantarum, and N4 was Lacticaseibacillus acidophilus. The result analysis of biochemical, sensory, nutritional, functional and safety properties of fermentation process and end products showed that the soy yogurt fermented with L. rhamnosus N1 had the highest isoflavone content and the lowest phytic acid content; the soy yogurt fermented with L. paracasei N2 had the highest content of free amino acids and oligosaccharides, the lowest content of trypsin inhibitors; the soy yogurt fermented with L. plantarum N3 had the lowest oil content; the soy yogurt fermented with L. acidophilus N4 had optimal functional properties. In summary, N4 was suitable as a fermentation strain for soymilk.

Localization of G1A1a Allergenic Domain Destroyed by Thermal Processing

Glycinin is an important allergenic protein. A1a is the acidic chain of the G1 subunit in glycinin (G1A1a), and it has strong allergenicity. In this study, we used phage display technology to express the protein of G1A1a and its overlapping fragments and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) to determine the antigenicity and allergenicity of the expressed protein. After three rounds of screening, it was determined that fragment A1a-2-B-I (151SLENQLDQMPRRFYLAGNQEQEFLKYQQEQG181) is the allergenic domain of G1A1a destroyed by thermal processing. In addition, three overlapping peptides were synthesized from fragments A1a-2-B-I, and a linear epitope was found in this domain through methods including dot blot and iELISA. Peptide 2 (157DQMPRRFYLANGNQE170) showed allergenicity, and after replacing it with alanine, it was found that amino acids D157, Q158, M159, and Y164 were the key amino acids that affected its antigenicity, while Q158, M159, R162, and N168 affected allergenicity.

Core fucosylation of maternal milk N-glycans imparts early-life immune tolerance through gut microbiota-dependent regulation in RORγt+ Treg cells

Milk glycans play key roles in shaping and maintaining a healthy infant gut microbiota. Core fucosylation catalyzed by fucosyltransferase (Fut8) is the major glycosylation pattern on human milk N-glycan, which was crucial for promoting the colonization and dominant growth of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus spp. in neonates. However, the influence of core-fucose in breast milk on the establishment of early-life immune tolerance remains poorly characterized. In this study, we found that the deficiency of core-fucose in the milk of maternal mice caused by Fut8 gene heterozygosity (Fut8+/-) resulted in poor immune tolerance towards the ovalbumin (OVA) challenge, accompanied by a reduced proportion of intestinal RORγt+ Treg cells and the abundance of Lactobacillus spp., especially L. reuteri and L. johnsonii, in their breast-fed neonates. The administration of the L. reuteri and L. johnsonii mixture to neonatal mice compromised the OVA-induced allergy and up-regulated the intestinal RORγt+ Treg cell proportions. However, Lactobacillus mixture supplementation did not alleviate allergic responses in RORγt+ Treg cell-deficient mice caused by Rorc gene heterozygosity (Rorc+/-) post OVA challenge, indicating that the intervention effects depend on the RORγt+ Treg cells. Interestingly, instead of L. reuteri and L. johnsonii, we found that the relative abundance of another Lactobacillus spp., L. murinus, in the gut of the offspring mice was significantly promoted by intervention, which showed enhancing effects on the proliferation of splenic and intestinal RORγt+ Treg cells in in vitro studies. The above results indicate that core fucosylation of breast milk N-glycans is beneficial for the establishment of RORγt+ Treg cell mediated early-life immune tolerance through the manipulation of symbiotic bacteria in mice.

Screening of probiotic Lactobacillus to reduce peanut allergy and with potential anti-allergic activity

BACKGROUND

Peanut is a significant source of nutrition and a valuable oilseed crop. It is also a serious allergy source, which poses a threat to 1.1% of the population. This study aimed to screen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with the capacity to alleviate peanut allergenicity and exhibit anti-allergic properties.

RESULT

The results show that LAB can make use of substances in peanuts to reduce the pH of peanut milk from 6.603 to 3.593-4.500 by acid production and that it can utilize the protein in peanuts to reduce the allergenic content (especially Ara h 1) and improve biological activity in peanut pulp. The content of Ara h 1 peanut-sensitizing protein was reduced by 74.65% after fermentation. The protein extracted from fermented peanut pulp is more readily digestible by gastrointestinal juices. The inhibitory activity assay of hyaluronidase (an enzyme with strong correlation to allergy) increased from 46.65% to a maximum of 90.57% to reveal that LAB fermentation of peanut pulp exhibited a robust anti-allergic response.

CONCLUSION

The strains identified in this study exhibited the ability to mitigate peanut allergenicity partially and to possess potential anti-allergic properties. Lactobacillus plantarum P1 and Lactobacillus salivarius C24 were identified as the most promising strains and were selected for further research. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Construction of hypoallergenic microgel by soy major allergen β-conglycinin through enzymatic hydrolysis and lactic acid bacteria fermentation

Soy allergenicity is a public concern, and the combination of multiple processing methods may be a promising strategy for reducing soy allergenicity. In this study, a novel two-step enzymatic hydrolysis followed by lactic acid bacteria fermentation was proposed for the construction of hypoallergenic soybean protein microgel. β-Conglycinin was used as the main soy allergen. The effects of different enzymatic hydrolysis (Alcalase, Neutrase, and Protamex) and LAB fermentation on β-conglycinin microgel formation and its immunoreactivity were investigated. Results showed that the use of different enzymes and the attainment of different degrees of hydrolysis affected the particle distribution and zeta potential in the microgels and leads to differences in microstructure and immunoreactivity. All hydrolysates compared with intact protein accelerated the formation of gel during LAB fermentation. Among the three assayed enzymes, fermented Protamex hydrolysates at 60 min (PF-60) demonstrated a microgel with an overall reduced average particle size (741.20±7.18 nm), lower absolute values of zeta potential (10.43±0.65 mV), and regular gel network. The antigenicity and IgE-binding capacity decreased to the lowest value of 0.30 % and 6.93 %, respectively. Peptidomics and immunoinformatic analysis suggested that PF-60 disrupted 17/30, 16/44, and 23/75 epitopes in the α, α', and β subunits, respectively. Unlike the LAB-fermented unhydrolyzed β-conglycinin disrupted epitopes mostly located at the loop domain, PF-60 primarily promoted the exposure and disruption of allergen epitopes with β-sheet structure located at the core barrel domain. These findings can provide new perspectives on the preparation of hypoallergenic soybean-gel products on edible particulate systems.

Effect of Microbial Transglutaminase Treatment on the Techno-Functional Properties of Mung Bean Protein Isolate

The purpose of this study was to investigate the improvement in techno-functional properties of mung bean protein isolate (MBPI) treated with microbial transglutaminase (MTG), including water- and oil-holding capacity, gelling properties, and emulsifying capacity. MBPI dispersions were incubated with MTG (5 U/g of protein substrate) at 45 °C with constant stirring for 4 h (MTM4) or 8 h (MTM8). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that MTG treatment for different durations increased the amount of high-molecular-weight proteins in MBPI, and most of the cross-linking by MTG was terminated at 8 h. Improved water-holding capacity, gelling properties, emulsifying capacity, and stability were observed after MTG treatment, and decreased protein solubility and surface hydrophobicity were observed. Furthermore, the texture of the heat-induced gels made from MTG-treated MBPI was evaluated using a texture analyzer. MTG treatment increased the hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and adhesiveness of the heat-induced gels. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the enhanced hardness of the gels. This research reveals that MTG-catalyzed cross-linking may adjust the techno-functional properties of MBPI, allowing it to be used as a soy protein alternative in food products, such as plant-based and processed meats.

Effect of processing treatments on the allergenicity of nuts and legumes: A meta-analysis

The effective food processing to reduce nuts and legumes allergenicity could not be easily and directly concluded from reading a few published reports. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate this issue. A literature search was conducted in eight electronic databases from January 2000 to June 11, 2021. The primary outcome of interest was the allergenicity of processed nuts or legumes determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from in vitro studies. Data with the standardized mean difference (SMD) of 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using a random-effect model by RevMan 5.4 software. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q (P_Q ) and I² tests. The search strategy identified 18,793 articles. However, only 61 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. There were 21 and 15 types of respective single and combined food processing treatments analyzed for their effects on reducing allergenicity. In single processing treatment, the extrusion and fermentation had the largest reduction in allergenicity, considering their SMD value, that is, -20.19 (95% CI: -22.22 to -18.17; the certainty of evidence: moderate) and -20.8 (95% CI: -24.10 to -17.50; the certainty of evidence: moderate), respectively. Whereas in the combination, the treatment of fermentation followed by proteolytic hydrolysis showed the most significant reduction (SMD: -53.34; 95% CI: -70.18 to -36.5) and the evidence quality of this treatment was considered moderate. In conclusion, these three food processing methods showed a desirable impact in reducing nuts or legumes allergenicity. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Nuts and legumes play an essential role as protein sources in food consumption worldwide, but they usually contain allergens. Our study has investigated the food processing methods that effectively reduce their allergenicity by meta-analysis. The result gives valuable information for further laboratory investigation on allergens and can be used by food industries in providing foods from nuts and legumes with lower allergenicity.

Fermentation of soymilk by Lactobacillus acidipiscis isolated from Chinese stinky tofu capable of efficiently biotransforming isoflavone glucosides to dihydrodaidzein and dihydrogenistein

BACKGROUND

The soy isoflavone microbial metabolites dihydrodaidzein (DHD), dihydrogenistein (DHG), equol and 5-hydroxy-equol are generally more biologically active than their precursors daidzein and genistein. Bacteria responsible for isoflavone metabolism have been isolated and identified. Fermented soymilk is a potential functional food; however, there are few lactic acid bacteria capable of metabolizing soy isoflavones.

RESULTS

A newly isolated Gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium, which was named Lactobacillus acidipiscis HAU-FR7, was isolated from the traditional Chinese fermented soy product 'stinky tofu'. Bacterium strain HAU-FR7 can grow under aerobic conditions and can also convert most of the daidzin and genistin in soymilk into DHD and DHG, respectively. The concentrations of DHD and DHG produced were 183 and 134 μmol L^-1 , respectively, after fermentation for 24 h. Strain HAU-FR7 does not produce the biogenic amines cadaverine, putrescine, histamine or tyramine, and an antibiotic susceptibility test showed that HAU-FR7 is sensitive to nine of the ten tested antibiotics, except for vancomycin. Moreover, the 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging capacity of soymilk fermented with HAU-FR7 was significantly higher than that of unfermented soymilk.

CONCLUSION

A facultative anaerobic lactic acid bacterium, designated Lactobacillus acidipiscis HAU-FR7, is capable of reducing the soy isoflavone glucosides daidzin and genistin in soymilk to DHD and DHG efficiently, even in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. The biotransformation activity of HAU-FR7 grown in soymilk is higher than that in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe liquid culture medium. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Quality and Flavor Changes of Different Soymilk and Milk Mixtures Fermented Products during Storage

This study explored the effects of two mixed fermentation methods: one was fermenting a soymilk and milk mixture by a lactic acid bacteria fermenting agent at 0.1 g/kg and 42 °C until the acidity was 70 °T, which was set as the MFSM method, and the other was fermenting milk alone by lactic acid bacteria at 42 °C for 12 h, placing it in a 4 °C refrigerator after acidification for 24 h and then mixing it with soymilk at a 1.5:1 ratio and storing the mixture at 4 °C, which was set as the SMFSM method. The quality and flavor of the soymilk and milk mixture products were investigated on the 0th, 15th and 30th days during storage. The changes in acidity, pH, number of viable bacteria, viscosity, water-holding capacity, texture, rheological properties, sensory quality and volatile flavors were determined. The results showed that compared with the fermented soymilk and milk mixtures under the MFSM method, the samples of fermented soymilk and milk mixtures under the SMFSM method showed a significant slowdown of acidification during storage, so that the sensory quality of the products was almost unaffected by acidity on the 30th day of storage. Furthermore, the number of viable bacteria was greater than 7 log cfu/mL. The water holding capacity did not change significantly until the 30th day. There was also no whey precipitation, indicating good stability. The samples in SMFSM mode had higher aromatic contents and beans during storage than the fermented soymilk and milk mixtures in MFSM mode. The rich variety of volatile flavors and the presence of acetoin, 2-heptanone, and (E,E)-3,5-octadien-2-one throughout the storage period allowed the samples to maintain a good sensory flavor during storage.

Harmful compounds of soy milk: characterization and reduction strategies

Soymilk is a plant based product which is a rich source of nutrients. However, various harmful compounds including allergens, anti-nutritional factors, and biogenic amines (BAs) exist in soybeans that may be transferred into soymilk. These compounds cause difficulties for consumers from mild to severe symptoms. Soymilk production is considered as a critical step in quantity of harmful compounds in final product. Common steps in soy milk manufacturing include soaking, grinding, and heating process. Allergens contents could be decreased by heating alone or in combination with structural modifiers and fermentation. BAs could be reduced by optimizing fermentation process and using suitable strains, especially BAs degradable types. Soaking, grinding and heating of soybeans in water are considered as effective methods for inactivation of antinutritional factors. Isoflavones are soy phytochemicals, which potentially leads to breast cancer in some women, can be converted to less bioavailable forms during processing. Other treatments such as high hydrostatic pressure and irradiation are also effective in harmful compounds reduction. Combination of the processes is more effective in harmful compounds removal. Considering the increasing trends in soymilk consumption, this review is focused on introduction of harmful compounds in soymilk and investigating the effects of processing condition on their concentration.

A new method to reduce allergenicity by improving the functional properties of soybean 7S protein through covalent modification with polyphenols

The 7S fraction contains several major allergens of soybean protein. Here, the effects of covalent modification by chlorogenic acid (CHA) and (-)-epigallo-catechin 3-gallate (EGCG) on the allergenicity and functional properties of soybean 7S protein were investigated. Conjugation with EGCG and CHA resulted in the formation of cross-linked protein polymers and changes to the structures of the protein, which might mask or destroy the epitopes on it. In vitro analysis revealed that modification by polyphenols noticeably reduced IgE binding activity and histamine release. In vivo analysis showed that modification led to milder anaphylactic shock symptoms and minor damage of the intestine in mice, with reducing IgG, IgE, IgG1, mMCP-1, and histamine levels. The allergic response was also suppressed by the repression of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-5 and the up-regulation of IL-10 and TGF-β in the conjugate groups. Furthermore, modification enhanced antioxidant, emulsion, foaming capacity, and foam stability of the protein.

Characterization of the Reduced IgE Binding Capacity in Boiled and Autoclaved Soybeans through Proteomic Approaches

The study investigated the changes in IgE binding capacity, protein profiles and peptide compositions after soybeans were boiled and autoclaved. The results of ELISA showed that the IgE binding capacity of soybean was reduced by 69.3% and 88.9% after boiling and autoclaving, respectively. Above 43 and 10 kDa proteins disappeared in boiled and autoclaved soybeans from SDS-PAGE, respectively. A Venn diagram and heat map showed that there was no change in allergen types and a reduction in allergen contents in the boiled and autoclaved soybeans. The changes in peptide compositions were also observed in the boiled and autoclaved soybeans through Venn diagram, PCA and heat map. LC/MS-MS and peptide mapping analysis demonstrated that boiling and autoclaving masked many epitopes in Gly m 4 and Gly m 5, such as ALVTDADNVIPK, SVENVEGNGGPGTIKK and KITFLEDGETK of Gly m 4 and VEKEECEEGEIPRPRPRPQHPER of Gly m 5, resulting in a reduction of IgE binding capacity in the extracted proteins. By contrast, the exposure of many epitopes in Gly m 6 was observed in boiled and autoclaved soybeans, which might be mainly responsible for the existing IgE binding capacity in the treated soybean proteins. Interestingly, the IgE binding capacity of soybeans showed a positive correlation with the total contents and number of peptides in Gly m 4-Gly m 6.

Soymilk-fermented with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii TUA4408L improves immune-health in pigs

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii TUA4408L has the ability to grow and ferment soymilk and is able to modulate the innate immune response of intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. These two properties prompt us to evaluate whether the soymilk fermented with the TUA4408L strain can induce beneficial immunomodulatory effects in vivo. For this purpose, pigs were selected as a preclinical model. The studies performed here demonstrated that the L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii TUA4408L-fermented soymilk (TUA4408L FSM) reduced blood markers of inflammation and differentially regulated the expression of inflammatory and regulatory cytokines in the intestinal mucosa. These immunological changes induced by the TUA4408L FSM were associated to an enhanced resistance to pathogenic Escherichia coli and an improved grow performance and meat quality of pigs. The experiments and analysis in our study indicate that the immunobiotic TUA4408L FSM could be an interesting non-dairy functional food to beneficially modulate the intestinal immune system, improve protection against pathogens and reduce inflammatory damage. The preclinical study carried out here in pigs could have a better correlation in humans, compared to a rodent model. However, the clinical relevance of these findings still needs to be confirmed by further research, for example, in controlled human challenge studies.

Assessment of Intestinal Immunity and Permeability of Broilers on Partial Replacement Diets of Two-Stage Fermented Soybean Meal by Bacillus velezensis and Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 367

The effect of soybean peptides from fermented soybean meal on the intestinal immunity and tight junction of broilers was assessed. Roughly, two-stage fermented soybean meal prepared with Bv and Lb (FSBM_B+L), which has nearly three times higher soluble peptides than soybean meal (SBM), and reduced galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) content and allergen protein. The one-stage fermented by Bv (FSBM_B) has the highest soluble peptides, while commercial lactic acid bacteria (FSBM_L) has the highest Lactic acid bacteria count; these were used to compare the differences in the process. Ross308 broilers (n = 320) were divided into four groups: SBM diet and a diet replaced with 6% FSBM_B+L, FSBM_B, or FSBM_L. The growth performance was recorded during the experiment, and six birds (35-day-old) per group were euthanized. Analysis of their jejunum and ileum showed that the fermented soybean meal significantly improved the villus height in the jejunum (p < 0.05) and reduced the crypt hyperplasia. The FSBM_B group had the highest reducing crypt depth; however, the FSBM_B+L group had the highest villus height/crypt depth in the ileum (p < 0.05). In the jejunum, the relative mRNA of CLDN-1 and Occludin increased 2-fold in the treatments, and ZO-1 mRNA increased 1.5 times in FSBM_L and FSBM_B+L (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the level of NF-κB and IL-6 mRNAs in FSBM_L increased, respectively, by 4 and 2.5 times. While FSBM_B, along with FSBM_B+L, had a 1.5-fold increase in the mRNA of IL-10, that of NF-κB increased 2-fold. FSBM_B+L and FSBM_B singly led to a 2- and 3-fold increase in IL-6 mRNA, respectively (p < 0.05). FSBM_B and FSBM_B+L can also upregulate MUC2 in the jejunum (p < 0.05). In short, using the soybean peptides from two-stage fermented soybean meal can ameliorate the negative factors of SBM and effectively regulate immune expression and intestinal repair, which will help broilers maintain intestinal integrity.

Characterization of the protein structure of soymilk fermented by Lactobacillus and evaluation of its potential allergenicity based on the sensitized-cell model

This study aimed to investigate the effects of fermented soymilk (FSM) with Lactobacillus brevis CICC 23,474 and L. brevis CICC 23,470 on the structural changes and allergenicity of major allergenic proteins in soymilk (SM). Spectroscopy and liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) were used to characterize changes in protein spatial structure and epitopes. The antigenicity and potential allergenicity were evaluated by immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and KU812 cell degranulation assay. Results suggested that the advanced structure of proteins was destroyed. Antigenicity was also significantly reduced, and five human IgE-binding linear epitopes (i.e., E5-E33, R27-S41, D414-A437, G253-I265 and V449-S471) were destroyed by fermentation. Furthermore, after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion, FSM showed lower IgG/IgE-binding capacity and weaker degranulation ability of KU812 cells. All these findings demonstrated that fermentation with Lactobacillus can destroy the conformational and linear epitopes of proteins and reduce the potential allergenicity of SM.

Recent advances in alleviating food allergenicity through fermentation

The increasing prevalence of food allergies is a significant challenge to global food health and safety. Various strategies have been deployed to decrease the allergenicity of food for preventing and reducing related disorders. Compared to other methods, fermentation has unique advantages in reducing the allergenicity of food and may represent a new trend in preventing food-induced allergies. This review introduces the characteristics of allergens in various foods, including shellfish, soy, peanut, milk, tree nut, egg, wheat, and fish. The mechanism and pathological symptoms of allergic reactions are then summarized. Furthermore, the advantages of fermentation for reducing the allergenicity of these foods and preventing allergies are evaluated. Fermentation is an efficient approach for reducing or eliminating food allergenicity. Simultaneously, it improved the nutritional value and physicochemical properties of food materials. It is conceivable that a combination of mixed strain fermentation with additional processing, such as heat treatment, pulsed light, and ultrasonication, will efficiently reduce the allergenicity of various foods and preserve their unique taste and nutritional components, providing significance for patients with allergies.

Assessment of the effect of lactic acid fermentation on the gastroduodenal digestibility and immunoglobulin E binding capacity of soy proteins via an in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal digestion model

Fermentation by lactic acid bacteria is helpful in reducing soy protein immunoreactivity. However, how lactic acid fermentation influences the gastroduodenal digestibility and immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding capacity of soy proteins remains unclear. In this study, the protein digestion of a fermented soybean protein isolate (FSPI) was investigated and compared with that of a soybean protein isolate (SPI). The effect on their respective IgE binding capacities at the gastric and duodenal phases was also explored by using a novel in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal digestion model (Bionic Rat Model II+). Medium pH was measured, microstructural analysis was performed, peptide distribution and free amino acid content were determined, and SDS-PAGE analysis was performed to assess the differences between SPI and FSPI. The results showed that FSPI had lower pH (3.76), larger protein aggregates (>60 μm), and higher low-molecular-weight peptides than SPI. During the first 30 min of gastric and duodenal digestion, the extent of hydrolysis of FSPI was higher than that of SPI, and the gastric transition time of the former was longer than that of the latter. Conversely, differences tended to be narrower in the next 30-180 min of gastric and duodenal digestion. As a result, the IgE binding capacity of FSPI was significantly lower than that of SPI at 30 min of gastric and duodenal digestion. Therefore, fermentation by lactic acid bacteria affected the digestibility rate of soy proteins, especially at the initial phases of gastric and duodenal digestion, thereby reducing the exposure of intact epitopes in the duodenum. This study helped to elucidate how lactic acid fermentation affected the digestive behavior of soy proteins and its implication in IgE immunoreactivity reduction.