Background: The use of legume seeds is being expanded in the food industry due to their excellent nutritional and technological properties. However, legumes have been considered causative agents of allergic reactions through ingestion. Previous studies indicated that processing methods combining heat and steam pressure, such as instant controlled pressure drop (DIC®), could decrease allergenicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of DIC treatment on peanut, lentil, chickpea and soybean IgE antibody reactivity. Methods: Peanut, lentil, chickpea and soybeanseeds were subjected to DIC treatment at different pressure and time conditions (3 and 6 bar for 1 and 3 min). Control (raw) and DIC-treated extracts were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using a serum pool from sensitized patients. Results: DIC treatment did not affect the total protein content of legume seeds. Nevertheless, modifications of protein profiles after DIC showed a general decrease in IgE binding to legume proteins that was correlated to a higher steam pressure and longer treatment. The immunoreactivity of soybean proteins was almost abolished with treatment at 6 bar for 3 min. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that DIC treatment produces a reduction in the overall in vitro IgE binding of peanut, lentil and chickpea and a drastic reduction in soybean immunoreactivity.

Keywords:
Peanut, Lentil, Chickpea, Soybean, Food allergy, IgE reactivity, Thermal processing, Instant controlled pressure drop, DIC®
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