Effect of acylation and enzymatic modification on pea proteins allergenicity

In the study chemical modifications (acetylation or succinylation) and enzymatic hydrolysis (with Alcalase) were applied in order to reduce the allergenicity of particular pea proteins. Application of Alcalase after acylation lowered the immunoreactive properties of pea vicilin from 14-17 percent down to 2-2.5 percent as compared to that of the native fraction. Under these conditions, the immunoreactivity of legumin and albumins was reduced by nearly 100 percent. Proteolysis of pea proteins under conditions optimal for Alcalase decreased the immunoreactivity of vicilin to about 24 percent. Application of acetic anhydrides for further modification led to lowering their level to 6 and 9 percent, during acetylation and succinylation, respectively. The immunoreactivity of pea legumin and albumins was reduced down to 1-3 percent. The lower immunoreactive properties of particular pea proteins do not correspond with lower allergenicity of total proteins. Of all the applied methods acetylation of previously hydrolysed proteins proved to be the most effective, it resulted in about 70 percent allergenicity decrease (on the average) of thus modified samples as compared to native pea proteins. Yet, the reaction showed an individual character and may be different in individual patients