Hypersensitivity linked to exposure of broad bean protein(s) in allergic patients and BALB/c mice

Low-intensity pulsed electric field processing prior to germination improves in vitro digestibility of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour and its derived products: A case study on legume-enriched wheat bread

This study investigated the effect of low-intensity pulsed electric field (PEF) (0.3-0.7 kV/cm) and/or germination (0-72 h, 20 °C) on faba beans prior to flour- and breadmaking. PEF (0.5 and 0.7 kV/cm) had no significant effect on the germination performance of faba bean but had a positive effect on in vitro starch and protein hydrolysis of PEF-treated beans germinated for 72 h. The incorporation of flour from soaked, germinated, PEF-treated, and PEF-treated+germinated faba beans into wheat bread, at 30% mass level, improved the nutritional composition (total starch and protein contents) and protein digestibility but it reduced the specific volume and increased the density, brownness, and hardness of the bread. This finding shows for the first time that PEF-treatment (<0.7 kV/cm) of faba beans followed by germination (72 h) improved in vitro starch and protein hydrolysis of its flour and the protein digestibility at gastric phase of its enriched wheat bread.

Potential Allergenicity Response to Moringa oleifera Leaf Proteins in BALB/c Mice

The reported association of Moringa oleifera seeds and allergic disease clinically resembling occupational asthma in cosmetic manufacturing workers has resultedin the need to identify such components in the manufacturing process. However, Moringa oleifera leaves from the same plant, an important food ingredient, have limited immunotoxicity data. This study aimed to determine if Moringa oleifera leafproteins (MLP) can elicit allergic responses in BALB/c mice. The BALB/c mice were sensitized twice and challenged 10 times to evaluate the potential allergenicityof MLP in vivo. The results showed increased levels of mast cells, total and specific IgE and IgG, severe signs of systemic anaphylaxis, and reduced body temperature compared with controls. The sensitized mice serum observed enhanced levels of histamine and Th-related cytokine release. Compared with the control group, increased levels of interleukins IL-4, IL-9, and IL-17A and enhanced expression and secretion of normal T cells were found in the culture supernatant of splenocytes treated with MLP.This study suggeststhat MLPcanelicit allergic responses; this providesmore comprehensive guidance for identifying new allergen candidates and developing hypoallergenic MLP products.

The realm of plant proteins with focus on their application in developing new bakery products

Plant proteins are spreading due to growing environmental, health and ethical concerns related to animal proteins. Proteins deriving from cereals, oilseeds, and pulses are witnessing a sharp growth showing a wide spectrum of applications from meat and fish analogues to infant formulations. Bakery products are one of the biggest markets of alternative protein applications for functional and nutritional motives. Fortifying bakery products with proteins can secure a better amino-acids profile and a higher protein intake. Conventional plant proteins (i.e., wheat and soy) dominate the bakery industry, but emerging sources (i.e., pea, chickpea, and faba) are also gaining traction. Each protein brings specific functional properties and nutritional value. Therefore, this chapter gives an overview of the main features of plant proteins and discusses their impact on the quality of bakery products.

Faba Bean: An Untapped Source of Quality Plant Proteins and Bioactives

Faba beans are emerging as sustainable quality plant protein sources, with the potential to help meet the growing global demand for more nutritious and healthy foods. The faba bean, in addition to its high protein content and well-balanced amino acid profile, contains bioactive constituents with health-enhancing properties, including bioactive peptides, phenolic compounds, GABA, and L-DOPA. Faba bean peptides released after gastrointestinal digestion have shown antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects, indicating a strong potential for this legume crop to be used as a functional food to help face the increasing incidences of non-communicable diseases. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current body of knowledge on the nutritional and biofunctional qualities of faba beans, with a particular focus on protein-derived bioactive peptides and how they are affected by food processing. It further covers the adverse health effects of faba beans associated with the presence of anti-nutrients and potential allergens, and it outlines research gaps and needs.

Alternatives to Cow’s Milk-Based Infant Formulas in the Prevention and Management of Cow’s Milk Allergy

Cow’s milk-based infant formulas are the most common substitute to mother’s milk in infancy when breastfeeding is impossible or insufficient, as cow’s milk is a globally available source of mammalian proteins with high nutritional value. However, cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is the most prevalent type of food allergy among infants, affecting up to 3.8% of small children. Hypoallergenic infant formulas based on hydrolysed cow’s milk proteins are commercially available for the management of CMA. Yet, there is a growing demand for more options for infant feeding, both in general but especially for the prevention and management of CMA. Milk from other mammalian sources than the cow, such as goat, sheep, camel, donkey, and horse, has received some attention in the last decade due to the different protein composition profile and protein amino acid sequences, resulting in a potentially low cross-reactivity with cow’s milk proteins. Recently, proteins from plant sources, such as potato, lentil, chickpeas, quinoa, in addition to soy and rice, have gained increased interest due to their climate friendly and vegan status as well as potential lower allergenicity. In this review, we provide an overview of current and potential future infant formulas and their relevance in CMA prevention and management.

Intestinal transcriptional profiling reveals fava bean-induced immune response in DBA/1 mice

Background

Fava beans (FBs) have long been used as food, and their principal disadvantage is derived from their haemotoxicity. We hypothesized that FB ingestion alters the intestinal gene expression pattern, thereby inducing an immune response.

Results

In-depth sequence analysis identified 769 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the intestine in FB-treated DBA/1 mouse intestines. The identified genes were shown to be associated with biological processes (such as response to stimulus and immune system processes), human disease pathways (such as infectious diseases, endocrine and metabolic diseases, and immune diseases), and organismal system pathways (such as the digestive system, endocrine system, environmental adaptation, and immune system). Moreover, plasma total immunoglobulin E (IgE), histamine, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 levels were significantly increased when the mice were treated with FBs.

Conclusions

These results demonstrated that FBs affect the intestinal immune response and IgE and cytokine secretion in DBA/1 mice.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40659-019-0216-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of the antigenicity of hydrolyzed cow's milk protein formulas using the mouse basophil activation test

Hypoallergenic infant formulas are widely used for infants with cow's milk allergy. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of the mouse basophil activation test (BAT) in the evaluation of residual antigenicity in these formulas. Whole blood samples derived from β-lactoglobulin- or casein-immunized mice were incubated with one of the following formulas: conventional, partially hydrolyzed, or extensively hydrolyzed. Basophilic activation was analyzed by flow cytometry using an IgE-dependent activation marker CD200R1 and an IgG-dependent activation marker CD200R3. Systemic anaphylaxis was induced by i.v. injection of milk formula and results were compared. Conventional formula induced pronounced changes in CD200R1 and CD200R3 expression on basophils, whereas extensively hydrolyzed formulas did not elicit any changes in these markers. Similarly, challenge with conventional formula induced anaphylaxis, whereas extensively hydrolyzed formulas did not induce anaphylaxis. Although the partially hydrolyzed formula also induced basophilic activation and systemic anaphylaxis, the magnitude of these effects was smaller than that observed with the conventional formula. Compared to CD200R1, the observed trend in CD200R3 expression resembled the results obtained from systemic anaphylaxis test more closely. These findings show that mouse BAT, in particular using CD200R3, is highly useful for the evaluation of antigenicity of milk formulas.