2D-Electrophoresis and Immunoblotting in Food Allergy

1D-, 2D-Gel Electrophoresis, Immunoblotting, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the Study of Food Allergens

Protein-based methods have been fundamental for the study of food allergens, not only from a mechanistic and diagnostic point of view, but especially with respect to allergen management and food safety. In this chapter, four individual protocols are suggested, relying on one-dimensional, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The particularities of the proposed protocols are focused on previous research targeting specific allergenic foods, with cow's milk proteins as case studies. Data on the importance of protein extraction and the use of different animal-raised antibodies and/or sera of food-allergic patients are also critically discussed within method development and optimization. The protocols herein described are successful examples applied to the study of cow's milk allergens in complex matrices, although they can be easily developed and optimized for any food allergen or allergenic food.

Gut Microbiome Proteomics in Food Allergies

Food allergies (FA) have dramatically increased in recent years, particularly in developed countries. It is currently well-established that food tolerance requires the strict maintenance of a specific microbial consortium in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiome as alterations in the gut microbiota can lead to dysbiosis, causing inflammation and pathogenic intestinal conditions that result in the development of FA. Although there is currently not enough knowledge to fully understand how the interactions between gut microbiota, host responses and the environment cause food allergies, recent advances in '-omics' technologies (i.e., proteomics, genomics, metabolomics) and in approaches involving systems biology suggest future headways that would finally allow the scientific understanding of the relationship between gut microbiome and FA. This review summarizes the current knowledge in the field of FA and insights into the future advances that will be achieved by applying proteomic techniques to study the GI tract microbiome in the field of FA and their medical treatment. Metaproteomics, a proteomics experimental approach of great interest in the study of GI tract microbiota, aims to analyze and identify all the proteins in complex environmental microbial communities; with shotgun proteomics, which uses liquid chromatography (LC) for separation and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) for analysis, as it is the most promising technique in this field.

Proteomic Advances in Cereal and Vegetable Crops

The importance of vegetables in human nutrition, such as cereals, which in many cases represent the main source of daily energy for humans, added to the impact that the incessant increase in demographic pressure has on the demand for these plant foods, entails the search for new technologies that can alleviate this pressure on markets while reducing the carbon footprint of related activities. Plant proteomics arises as a response to these problems, and through research and the application of new technologies, it attempts to enhance areas of food science that are fundamental for the optimization of processes. This review aims to present the different approaches and tools of proteomics in the investigation of new methods for the development of vegetable crops. In the last two decades, different studies in the control of the quality of crops have reported very interesting results that can help us to verify parameters as important as food safety, the authenticity of the products, or the increase in the yield by early detection of diseases. A strategic plan that encourages the incorporation of these new methods into the industry will be essential to promote the use of proteomics and all the advantages it offers in the optimization of processes and the solution of problems.