Allergenicity reduction of the bio-elicited peanut sprout powder (BPSP) and toxicological acceptance of BPSP-supplemented diets assessed with ICR mice

Abstract

The allergenic and toxicological acceptances of the bio-elicited peanut sprout powder (BPSP) have not been assessed. BPSP was generated from peanut kernels germinated at 26-28 °C for 72 h (designated as 72 h-NGS). The 72 h-NGS were subsequently sliced, incubated, dried, defatted and pulverized to generate bio-elicited peanut sprout powder (BPSP). Protein solubility of BPSP increased 2.6-fold compared to 72 h-NGS. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed BPSP production triggered extensive degradation of the high-molecular weight peanut allergic proteins, mainly Ara h 1 and Ara h 3. Western blotting detected with peanut allergic patients' IgE indicated decreased in vitro reactivity. Food safety assessment of BPSP was performed with ICR mice fed with basal (control) and three doses of formulated BPSP-supplemented diets containing 0.11 g (normal), 2.5 g (high) and 25 g (super high) BPSP /kg BW. Animals appeared healthy with steady body weight gain in all groups during the entire 35-day dietary intervention. Hematological and serum biochemical analyses revealed no significant difference among groups. Histopathological examination on the tissue sections of primary organs further supported safety with no pathologies. The in vitro allergic reduction and toxicological safety in the BPSP-supplemented dietary intervention in the ICR mice study, support moving forward with BPSP-involved product development.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05537-7.

Keywords: Allergenicity; BPSP (bio-elicited peanut sprout powder); BPSP-supplemented diets; Food safety assessment; Peanut; Resverachidins; Stilbenoids.

Fig. 1

Approximately 17 µg of protein was loaded per lane. SDS-PAGE protein electrophoresis patterns indicated with arrows were known peanut allergens of soluble protein extracted from the defatted cotyledon powders of raw peanut kernel (Raw kernel), 72 h-germinated normal sprouts (72 h-NGS) and bio-elicited peanut sprout powder (BPSP) (A). Paralleled comparison of bio-elicited peanut sprout powder BPSP and 72 h-NGS on the specific protein degradation was demonstrated with SDS-PAGE analysis (Left) and followed immunoblotting detected with peanut allergic IgE containing serum (right). Protein degradation and diminishing of allergic proteins of size from 15 to 75 kDa were observed in BPSP as compared to 72 h-NGS (B)

Fig. 2

Histopathological examinations on heart (A), liver (B), kidney (C) and lung (D) of male (M) and female (F) mice fed with basal diet (1) with diet supplemented with super-high dose of BPSP (25 g BPSP/kg) (2) for 35 days