Celery allergen characterised

Monday, 11 April 2011 12:02

Legislation requires the presence of celery in foodstuffs to be declared in relation to products sold throughout Europe, as it is a significant allergen in adult populations of that region. The allergenic proteins that have been identified in celery until now are not considered to be typical elicitors of severe symptoms, prompting a team of researchers in Germany to seek to characterise other potential celery allergens.

Their recently-published work focussed on a non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) in celery. Using molecular methods, the team identified a molecule they designated as Api g 2 and showed it was highly resistant to simulated gastrointestinal digestion and thermal denaturation. They also found Api g 2-specific IgE antibodies cross-reacted with non-specific lipid transfer proteins found in peach and mugwort pollen.

Reference: Gadermaier et al. 2011 Molecular Nutrition and Food Research Vol.55(4). pp 568-77. DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201000443.