Analysis of glabrous canary seeds by ELISA, mass spectrometry, and Western blotting for the absence of cross-reactivity with major plant food allergens.

Glabrous (hairless) canary seed belongs to the Poaceae (Gramineae) family and could serve as an alternative source of gluten-free cereal grain. In this study, allergenic cross-reactivities between hairless, dehulled canary seeds (Phalaris canariensis) and major allergenic proteins from gluten, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and mustard were studied using commercial enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kits specific for these target allergens. Mass spectrometry (MS) and immunoblotting were further used to assess for the presence of gluten-specific protein fragments.

Food allergies in developing and emerging economies: need for comprehensive data on prevalence rates.

Although much is known today about the prevalence of food allergy in the developed world, there are serious knowledge gaps about the prevalence rates of food allergy in developing countries. Food allergy affects up to 6% of children and 4% of adults. Symptoms include urticaria, gastrointestinal distress, failure to thrive, anaphylaxis and even death.

In vitro protein digestibility and physico-chemical properties of flours and protein concentrates from two varieties of lentil (Lens culinaris).

The chemical composition of whole lentil flours and lentil protein concentrates prepared by alkaline extraction and iso-electric precipitation from Blaze and Laird varieties of lentil were studied. The protein composition of the flours and concentrates, determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) showed that the extracted proteins were composed mainly of globulins and albumins. Trypsin inhibitor activity ranged between 0.

Detection and quantification of soy allergens in food: study of two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 commercially available soy enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and use them in detecting soy proteins in selected food commodities. Both ELISA kits exhibited high sensitivity. The determined limits of detection (LOD) (approximately 2 and <1 microg/mL for Tepnel Biosystems and Elisa Systems kits, respectively) were lower than those claimed by the manufacturer.