title: Role of pepsin in modifying the allergenicity of bhetki (Lates calcarifer) and mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) fish.
abstract: The effect of pepsin digestion on the allergenicity of raw and thermally processed (boiled and fried) fish muscle extracts of two widely consumed fishes bhetki (Lates calcarifer) and mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) was studied. Sere were collected from 110 patients who were hypersensitive to fish, as evidenced by their clinical history, symptoms and positive skin-prick test results. The various extracts after digestion with pepsin at different times of incubation were tested for specific IgE-binding activity by ELISA and immunoblotting with patients' sera. All the extracts of both the fishes retained their allergenicity as evidenced by ELISA and immunoblotting. In bhetki, maximum allergenicity was found in the pepsin-digested fried extract, whereas similar treatment decreased the allergenicity in fried mackerel. Results showed that raw as well as thermally processed allergens of both the fishes maintained strong allergenicity, even after digestion with pepsin for different time periods. The study revealed that the fish proteins played an important role in manifestation of allergy, due to their stable structure, which was retained even after pepsin and heat treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India.
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Urmimala
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samanta
authors.forename: Bishnu P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005396:Fish Products / Q000009:adverse effects; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000737:chemistry*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D029941:Fish Proteins; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010434:Pepsin A