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Review
. 2022 Mar 19;11(6):878.
doi: 10.3390/foods11060878.

Detection of Allergenic Proteins in Foodstuffs: Advantages of the Innovative Multiplex Allergen Microarray-Based Immunoassay Compared to Conventional Methods

Lisa Tuppo  1 , Ivana Giangrieco  1 , Maurizio Tamburrini  1 , Claudia Alessandri  2   3 , Adriano Mari  2   3 , Maria Antonietta Ciardiello  1
Affiliations
Review

Detection of Allergenic Proteins in Foodstuffs: Advantages of the Innovative Multiplex Allergen Microarray-Based Immunoassay Compared to Conventional Methods

Lisa Tuppo et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Several factors can affect the allergen content and profile of a specific food, including processing procedures often leading to a decrease in allergenicity, although no change, or even an increase, have also been reported. Evaluation of the effectiveness of a processing procedure requires the availability of reliable methodologies to assess the variation in molecules able to induce allergic reactions in the analyzed food. Conventional and innovative strategies and methodologies can be exploited to identify allergenic proteins in foodstuffs. However, depending on the specific purposes, different methods can be used. In this review, we have critically reviewed the advantages of an innovative method, the multiplex allergen microarray-based immunoassay, in the detection of allergens in foodstuffs. In particular, we have analyzed some studies reporting the exploitation of an IgE-binding inhibition assay on multiplex allergen biochips, which has not yet been reviewed in the available literature. Unlike the others, this methodology enables the identification of many allergenic proteins, some of which are still unknown, which are recognized by IgE from allergic patients, with a single test. The examined literature suggests that the inhibition test associated with the multiplex allergen immunoassay is a promising methodology exploitable for the detection of IgE-binding proteins in food samples.

Keywords: FABER test; ISAC test; IgE binding; IgE-binding inhibition; food allergens; multiplex allergen microarray.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interests. CAAM and ADL srl did not provide any funding support, materials or equipment, and had no role in the design of the study and in the writing of this review manuscript, or in the decision to publish it.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of a multiplex immunoassay, generally used for allergy diagnosis, in comparison with the inhibition assay on a multiplex biochip, such as the single point highest inhibition achievable assay (SPHIAa).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of two procedures used to obtain the allergen profile in a food: inhibition test on a multiplex allergen biochip (on the left) and mass-spectrometry-based procedure (on the right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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