Stability In Simulated Gastric Fluid Research Articles

In Vitro Stability and Pharmacokinetic Study of Pedunculoside and Its Beta-CD Polymer Inclusion Complex.

Pedunculoside, a triterpene saponin derived from various Ilex species, holds potential as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases. However, its clinical application is hindered by poor bioavailability, rapid elimination, and extensive intestinal metabolism to rotundic acid. To address these issues, a water-soluble inclusion complex of pedunculoside, namely, the beta-CD polymer inclusion complex of pedunculoside (pedunculoside-βCDP), was prepared in this study, and a comparative in vitro stability and pharmacokinetic behavior study was performed between pedunculoside and pedunculoside-βCDP. Both pedunculoside and pedunculoside-βCDP exhibited the highest stability in simulated gastric fluid and simulated intestinal fluid but were readily metabolized when co-incubated with Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium breve. An LC-MS/MS analytical method for the simultaneous determination of pedunculoside and rotundic acid in rat plasma was successfully established, validated, and applied to investigate the pharmacokinetic behavior after rats were intravenously administered with pedunculoside or pedunculoside-βCDP. The results indicated that pedunculoside-βCDP could significantly improve the pharmacokinetic profile of pedunculoside by increasing plasma exposure, retarding elimination, and reducing intestinal metabolism. This study enhances our understanding of pedunculoside-βCDP's metabolic fate and pharmacokinetic properties and potentially advances its further research, development, and clinical application.

Surface functionalization of PLGA nanoparticles for potential oral vaccine delivery targeting intestinal immune cells

This study aimed to develop surface modified PLGA nanocarriers protecting a protein-based antigen in the stomach to enable potential release of the antigen at target intestinal sites. PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by double emulsion and solvent evaporation techniques while surface functionalization was performed using polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium alginate (ALG) and Eudragit L100 (EUD) with ovalbumin (OVA) as a model protein antigen. Nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF)/simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Structural integrity of released OVA was analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), while cytotoxicity against Jurkat cells was determined using MTT assay. Surface functionalized PLGA NPs protected the protein in SGF and SIF better than the non-functionalized NPs. Average size of OVA encapsulated NPs was between 235 and 326 nm and were spherical. FTIR band change was observed after surface modification and the surface modified NPs showed sustained OVA release compared with the uncoated NPs. The secondary structure of OVA released after 96 h remained intact and MTT assay showed >80 % cell viability after 72 h while unmodified and surface modified NPs achieved 17 % and 48 % mucin binding respectively. In conclusion, surface modified PLGA NPs have been shown to be safe for potential oral protein-based vaccine delivery.

Dual-grafted dextran based nanomicelles: Higher antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cellular uptake efficiency for quercetin

Quercetin (QCT) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and other important pharmacological activities, but the poor water solubility limits its application. In this work, the amphiphilic dextran (ADEX) was prepared by grafting L-cysteine and octadecylamine onto carboxymethyl dextran with the grafting rate of 21.29 % and 19.35 %. Then, the QCT-loaded nanomicelles (QNMs) were prepared by using ADEX as wall material and the QCT as core material via ultrasonic self-assembly method. The particle size and zeta potential of QNMs were 372 nm and 31.4 mV. Under simulated gastric and simulated intestinal fluids, the cumulative release QNMs were 37.54 % and 52.13 % within 180 min, and the QNMs showed better stability in simulated gastric fluid. The QNMs showed significantly better PTIO, OH and O2− scavenging activities than QCT. In addition, QNMs could effectively down-regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine. The cellular uptake results proved that the QNMs were more easily absorbed by cells than free QCT, indicating that the nano-encapsulation procedure effectively improved the uptake efficiency of QCT by cells.

Sequential loading of inclusion complex/nanoparticles improves the gastric retention of Vladimiriae Radix essential oil to promote the protection of acute gastric mucosal injury

The essential oil from Vladimiriae Radix (VEO) is a medicinal natural product with anti-ulcer activity. A novel gastroretentive drug delivery system was developed by preparing the hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complex incorporated into chitosan nanoparticles (V-CD/NPs), to improve the bioavailability of VEO and its protective effect on gastric mucosa. The optimum preparation process of V-CD/NPs was obtained by Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken response surface methodology. The resulting V-CD/NPs gained a suitable positive potential and small particle size, and showed stability in simulated gastric fluid, whose morphology and in vitro drug release profiles had a pH-sensitivity. Besides, V-CD/NPs was proved to strongly bind with mucin, and in vivo imaging revealed that it could be retained in the stomach for more than 8 h. The results of drug concentration in gastric tissues showed that the sequential loading of inclusion complex/nanoparticles promoted the local absorption of VEO in gastric tissues, which was favorable to reach the effective therapeutic concentration in the lesioned mucosa area. In comparison to VEO and V-CD, the callback effect of V-CD/NPs on 1L-1β, 1L-6, TNF-α, NF-κB, MDA and SOD was comparable to cimetidine, and V-CD/NPs outperformed in gastric mucosal protection. Therefore, the gastroretentive drug delivery system developed in our study effectively enhanced the anti-ulcer activity of VEO, which could be a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of the acute gastric mucosal injury.

In vitro Digestion and Swelling Kinetics of Thymoquinone-Loaded Pickering Emulsions Incorporated in Alginate-Chitosan Hydrogel Beads.

The present work aimed to investigate the swelling behavior, in vitro digestion, and release of a hydrophobic bioactive compound, thymoquinone (TQ), loaded in Pickering emulsion incorporated in alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads using a simulated gastrointestinal model. In this study, oil-in-water Pickering emulsions of uniform micron droplet sizes were formulated using 20% red palm olein and 0.5% (w/v) cellulose nanocrystals-soy protein isolate (CNC/SPI) complex followed by encapsulation within beads. FT-IR was used to characterize the bonding between the alginate, chitosan, and Pickering emulsion. 2% (w/v) alginate-1% (w/v) chitosan hydrogel beads were found to be spherical with higher stability against structural deformation. The alginate-chitosan beads displayed excellent stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) with a low water uptake of ~19%. The hydrogel beads demonstrated a high swelling degree (85%) with a superior water uptake capacity of ~593% during intestinal digestion in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). After exposure to SIF, the microstructure transformation was observed, causing erosion and degradation of alginate/chitosan wall materials. The release profile of TQ up to 83% was achieved in intestinal digestion, and the release behavior was dominated by diffusion via the bead swelling process. These results provided useful insight into the design of food-grade colloidal delivery systems using protein-polysaccharide complex-stabilized Pickering emulsions incorporated in alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads.

Enhancing stability and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin in ulcerative colitis therapy using liposomes mediated colon-specific drug delivery system

Curcumin liposomes (CUR-LPs) was identified by evaluating morphology, appearance, zeta potential, particle diameter, and drug encapsulation efficiency. The results indicated that particle diameter, surface charge and polydispersity index (PDI) of curcumin (CUR)-loaded anionic liposomes were 167 nm, −34 mV and 0.09, respectively. CUR-LPs is high stable pseudo-pH-sensitive nanoparticles system which has a favorable stability in simulated gastric fluid and slower degradation rate allowing CUR sustained release for prolonged times in simulated intestinal fluid. Within 1 h, the CUR consumption was 21.82% in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and 27.32% in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), respectively. CUR-LPs could attenuate clinical symptoms including weight loss, diarrhea and fecal bleeding. Especially, it could also prevent dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-inducedcolon tissue damage and colon shortening, and reduce the production of malondialdehyde (MDA), colonic myeloperoxidase (MPO), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in animal model. Our study illustrated that liposomes (LPs) was a potential carrier to develop the colon-specific drug delivery system incorporating CUR for treating ulcerative colitis.

Surface Modification of Mobile Composition of Matter (MCM)-41 Type Silica Nanoparticles for Potential Oral Mucosa Vaccine Delivery

Development of mobile composition of matter (MCM)-41 silica nanoparticles faces challenges, e.g. surface charge properties, antigen loading efficiency, protecting from enzymes and harsh GIT environment and effective release at target mucosal site. We report the production and characterization of polymer and amine modified MCM-41 type silica nanoparticles for oral antigen delivery using ovalbumin (OVA) as model antigen. Nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, circular dichroism (CD), sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), mucin binding, stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and in vitro OVA release in SGF and SIF. Unmodified nanoparticles size of 146 nm increased to 175–321 nm after modification while modified particles remained intact for more than 3 h in SGF and 96 h in SIF (DLS and SEM). Mucin binding proved polyethylene glycol (PEG) and chitosan modified nanoparticles as potential candidates for oral mucosa delivery. Both showed highest OVA encapsulation at 67% and 73%, and sustained OVA release in SIF (96 h) at 65% and 64% respectively. BET results showed that nanopores were not blocked during surface modification. CD and SDS-PAGE showed that OVA conformational structure did not change after release from the nanoparticles.

Accurate and Sensitive Reverse Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Arbutin in Blueberries and Characterization of Its Stability in Simulated Gastric Fluid and under Ultraviolet Irradiation

In this study, arbutin, an antibacterial skin-whitening agent was identified and quantified in blueberry samples using a developed high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. The best instrumental conditions were obtained by performing step-by-step optimization studies. The highest arbutin signal was observed at a wavelength of 220 nm with the ultraviolet detector. Arbutin was eluted through a C18 column by a mobile phase composed of 89:10:1 (v/v/v) water:methanol:0.10 M hydrochloric acid. The analytical figures of merit were calculated from a calibration plot developed across the concentration range from 0.010 to 250 mg/L under the optimum conditions with a coefficient of determination value of 0.9999. The limits of detection and quantification values were 2.0 and 6.6 µg/L, respectively. Spiked recovery measurements were used to ascertain the applicability of the analytical method in different blueberry samples, and the obtained recovery values ranged between 93 and 100%. The analyte was exposed to simulated gastric fluid and ultraviolet radiation to ascertain its stability under these conditions.

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/cationic tannin blend films with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

This study reports the synthesis, characterization and biological properties of films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and a cationic tannin polymer derivative (TN). Films are obtained from polymeric blends by tuning the PVA/TN weight ratios. The materials are characterized through infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, mechanical analyses, and scanning electron microscopy. More hydrophilic surfaces are created by modulating the PVA and TN concentrations in the blends. Disintegration tests showed that the films present durability in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and low stability in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2). The film created at 90/10 PVA/TN weight ratio and crosslinked at 109 PVA/glutaraldehyde molar ratio (sample PVA10/TN10) supports the attachment and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after 7 days of culture. The scaffolding capacity of the PVA10/TN10 surface is compared with titanium, one of the most important biomedical materials used in bone replacements. Also, the PVA/TN films exhibited cytocompatibility, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These properties make PVA/TN films are candidates for biomedical applications in the tissue engineering field.

Development and application of bio-sample quantification to evaluate stability and pharmacokinetics of inulin-type fructo-oligosaccharides from Morinda Officinalis

Inulin-type fructooligosaccharides (FOS) purified from Morinda Officinalis, with degrees of polymerization (DP) from 3 to 9, have been approved in China as an oral prescribed drug for mild and moderate depression episode, while the stability and oral absorption of this FOS mixtures are largely unknown. As the main active component and quality control marker for above FOS, DP5 was selected as the representative FOS in this study. Desalting method by ion exchange resin was developed to treat bio-sample, followed by separation and quantification by high performance liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detector. Results showed that the DP5 was stepwisely hydrolyzed in simulated gastric fluid and gut microbiota, while maintained stable in intestinal fluid. DP5 has poor permeability across Caco-2 monolayer with Papp of 5.22 × 10−7 cm/s, and very poor oral absorption with bioavailability of (0.50 ± 0.12)% in rat. In conclusion, FOS in Morinda Officinalis demonstrated poor chemical stability in simulated gastric fluid and human gut microbiota, and low oral absorption in rats.

Insulin- and quercetin-loaded liquid crystalline nanoparticles: implications on oral bioavailability, antidiabetic and antioxidant efficacy.

The present study reports insulin (INS)- and quercetin (QT)-lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs) with improved bioavailability, antidiabetic and antioxidant efficacy following oral administration. The developed INS-QT-LCNPs were evaluated for simulated gastric fluid stability. In vitro Caco-2 uptake studies were also performed. Furthermore, in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of INS-QT-LCNPs were evaluated. INS entrapped within LCNPs demonstrated excellent stability in simulated gastric fluid. Higher uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-INS-LCNPs were observed in Caco-2 cells. INS-LCNPs demonstrated approximately 20% relative bioavailability compared with subcutaneously administered INS. Significant decrease in oxidative stress was confirmed by reduction in malondialdehyde level. Overall, combination strategy not only overcomes poor oral bioavailability of INS and QT, but also prevents the generation of reactive oxygen species, responsible for diabetes-mediated complications.

Preparation and characterisation of a novel hydrogel based on Auricularia polytricha β-glucan and its bio-release property for vitamin B12 delivery.

This study investigates a novel hydrogel synthesis method and its bio-release property. This hydrogel, with a three-dimensional network structure based on Auricularia polytricha β-glucan, was characterised by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1 H NMR and scanning electron microscopy. Vitamin B12 (VB12 , cobalamin) as a hydrophilic functional food component was entrapped into these hydrogels. The in vitro release profile of VB12 was established in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The results showed that the hydrogel had medium pore size from 30 to 300 µm, and the swelling ratio increased with the degree of substitution. The hydrogel demonstrated good stability in SGF and bio-release capability in SIF for VB12 . The accumulated release rate is about 80% in SIF and below 20% in SGF, which indicated the significant different release property in stomach and intestine. The Auricularia polytricha β-glucan-based hydrogel has a good swelling ratio, pepsin stability and pancrelipase-catalysed biodegradation property. The bio-release rate is significantly different in SIF and SGF, which indicated that this hydrogel could be a good intestinal target carrier of VB12 . © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prediction of Permeation and Cellular Transport of Silybum marianum Extract Formulated in a Nanoemulsion by Using PAMPA and Caco-2 Cell Models.

The present study explores the potential of nanoemulsion, a lipid drug delivery system, to improve solubility and oral absorption of Silybum marianum extract. The optimized formulation contained 40 mg/mL of commercial extract (4 % w/w) and it was composed of 2.5 g labrasol (20 %) as the oil phase, 1.5 g cremophor EL as the surfactant, and 1 g labrafil as the cosurfactant (mixture surfactant/cosurfactant, 20 %).The system was characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and HPLC-DAD analyses in order to evaluate size, homogeneity, morphology, and encapsulation efficiency. Physical and chemical stabilities were assessed during 40 days at 4 °C and 3 months at 25 °C. Stability in simulated gastric fluid followed by simulated intestinal conditions was also considered. In vitro permeation studies were performed to determine the suitability of the prepared nanoemulsion for oral delivery. Different models such as the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay and Caco-2 cell lines were applied.The nanoemulsion showed a good solubilizing effect of the extract, with a pronounced action also on its permeability, in respect to a saturated aqueous solution. The Caco-2 test confirmed the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay results and they revealed the suitability of the prepared nanoemulsion for oral delivery.

Carboxymethyl Starch Excipients for Drug Chronodelivery.

Carboxymethyl starch (CMS) is a pH-responsive excipient exhibiting also interesting properties for applications in delayed drug delivery systems. This work was aimed to investigate the release properties of monolithic and dry-coated tablets based on ionic sodium CMS and on protonated CMS, formulated with three model tracers: acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and sodium diclofenac. The sodium or protonated CMS were obtained from the same CMS synthesis by controlling the final pH of reaction media. The two forms of CMS were confirmed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The in vitro dissolution profiles for monolithic and double core tablets were different and allowed a better understanding of characteristics of the two excipient forms. It was found that the protonated CMS exhibited a better stability in simulated gastric fluid in comparison to its sodium salt in monolithic dosage forms, whereas both excipients afforded a complete gastric protection of drugs when formulated as dry-coated dosages. Determination of water uptake and erosion rate of monolithic matrices based on the two CMS forms showed different mechanisms involved in the delivery of the three model active molecules in simulated intestinal media. When pancreatic enzymes were added in dissolution media, the drug release was accelerated showing that CMS is still a substrate for alpha-amylase. Both sodium and protonated starch excipients, formulated as dry-coated dosages, afforded a good gastro-protection and allowed a drug chronodelivery at various intervals up to 4-5h. They could be considered as an alternative for delayed delivery and a solvent-free coating procedure.

Stability behaviour of antiretroviral drugs and their combinations. 4: Characterization of degradation products of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate and comparison of its degradation and stability behaviour with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate

In this study, stress degradation behaviour of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), a novel prodrug of tenofovir, was investigated and compared with currently used prodrug congener, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), whose intrinsic stability was reported by us earlier [14]. Also, pH stability and gastrointestinal stability studies were conducted on both the drugs. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of stressed samples of TAF revealed formation of six degradation products (DPs) against twelve characterized earlier in the case of TDF (RSC Adv. 5(2015) 96117-96129). Like TDF, characterization of DPs of TAF was done by using sophisticated hyphenated liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and multistage mass spectrometry (MSn) tools. pH-stability studies between pH 1.2–10 revealed greater stability of TAF, except in acidic conditions, where TAF was degraded extensively. Investigation of gastrointestinal stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and fed state simulated gastric fluid (FeSSGF) suggested that TAF must be administered in fed state, as the drug was practically stable in FeSSGF as compared to extensive loss at acidic pH and in SGF.

Discovery of novel quinoline-based mTOR inhibitors via introducing intra-molecular hydrogen bonding scaffold (iMHBS): The design, synthesis and biological evaluation

A series of quinoline derivatives featuring the novelty of introducing intra-molecular hydrogen bonding scaffold (iMHBS) were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated for their mTOR inhibitory activity, as well as anti-proliferative efficacies against HCT-116, PC-3 and MCF-7 cell lines. As a result, six compounds exhibited significant inhibition against mTOR with IC50 values below 35nM. Compound 15a, the most potent mTOR inhibitor reported herein (IC50=14nM), also displayed the most favorable cellular activities, with the IC50 values of 0.46, 0.61 and 0.24μM against HCT-116, PC-3 and MCF-7, respectively. Besides, several compounds in this series were identified to be selective over class I PI3Ks. Further western blot analysis of 16b, a representative compound in this series, highlighted their advantage in surmounting the S6K/IRS1/PI3K negative feedback loop upon dual inhibition of mTORC1 and mTORC2. In addition to the remarkable activity, 15a demonstrated acceptable stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and liver microsome, thereby being valuable for extensive in vivo investigation.

Poly(n-butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles for oral delivery of quercetin: preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetics and biodistribution studies in Wistar rats.

BackgroundQuercetin (QT) is a potential bioflavonol and antioxidant with poor bioavailability and very low distribution in the brain. A new oral delivery system comprising of poly(n-butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PBCA NPs) was introduced to improve the oral bioavailability of QT and to increase its distribution in the brain. Physicochemical characteristics, in vitro release, stability in simulated gastric fluid and intestinal fluids, and pharmacokinetics and biodistribution studies of QT-PBCA NPs coated with polysorbate-80 (P-80) were investigated.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the physicochemical characteristics, in vitro release, stability in simulated gastric fluid and intestinal fluids, and pharmacokinetics and biodistribution studies of QT-PBCA NPs coated with polysorbate-80 (P-80).ResultsThe results showed that QT-PBCA NPs and QT-PBCA NPs coated with P-80 (QT-PBCA+P-80) had mean particle sizes of 161.1±0.44 nm and 166.6±0.33 nm respectively, and appeared spherical in shape under transmission electron microscopy. The mean entrapment efficiency was 79.86%±0.45% for QT-PBCA NPs and 74.58%±1.44% for QT-PBCA+P-80. The in vitro release of QT-PBCA NPs and QT-PBCA+P-80 showed an initial burst release followed by a sustained release when compared to free QT. The relative bioavailability of QT-PBCA NPs and QT-PBCA+P-80 enhanced QT bioavailability by 2.38- and 4.93-fold respectively, when compared to free QT. The biodistribution study in rats showed that a higher concentration of QT was detected in the brain after the NPs were coated with P-80.ConclusionThis study indicates that PBCA NPs coated with P-80 can be potential drug carriers for poorly water-soluble drugs. These NPs were observed to improve the drugs’ oral bioavailability and enhance their transport to the brain.

Formulation of novel sustained release rifampicin-loaded solid lipid microparticles based on structured lipid matrices from Moringa oleifera

Objectives: To formulate sustained release rifampicin-loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) using structured lipid matrices based on Moringa oil (MO) and Phospholipon 90G (P90G).Methods: Rifampicin-loaded and unloaded SLMs were formulated by melt homogenization and characterized in terms of particle morphology and size, percentage drug content (PDC), pH stability, stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH 1.2), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and in vitro release. In vivo release was studied in Wistar rats.Results: Rifampicin-loaded SLMs had particle size range of 32.50 ± 2.10 to 34.0 ± 8.40 μm, highest PDC of 87.6% and showed stable pH. SLMs had good sustained release properties with about 77.1% release at 12 h in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) and 80.3% drug release at 12 h in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 7.4). SLMs exhibited 48.51% degradation of rifampicin in SGF at 3 h, while rifampicin pure sample had 95.5% degradation. Formulations exhibited MIC range of 0.781 to 1.562, 31.25 to 62.5 and 6.25 to 12.5 μg/ml against Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis respectively and had higher in vivo absorption than the reference rifampicin (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Rifampicin-loaded SLMs could be used once daily for the treatment tuberculosis.

Cell-based immunological assay: complementary applications in evaluating the allergenicity of foods with FAO/WHO guidelines

There are drawbacks for the decision tree strategies recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) (FAO/WHO, 2001) in allergenicity assessment. In this study, we evaluated the allergenic activity of glycinin (Gly), ovalbumin (OVA) and potato acid phosphatase (PAP) by using an RBL cell-based immunological assay and the decision tree strategies. We then further analyzed the complementary applications between the RBL cell-based immunological assay and the decision tree strategies. A bioinformatical analysis predicted that the ranking of potential allergenicity was Gly>OVA>PAP, which was determined by analyzing the linear-epitope regions. However, the RBL cell-based immunological assay can determine the ability of the linear and conformational epitopes to induce allergic reactions. A pepsin digestion assay indicated that Gly was more stable compared with OVA and that PAP had no stability in simulated gastric fluid. However, this approach cannot fully reflect the results of food proteins digested in the gastrointestinal tract. Anaphylactic reactions in Balb/c mice and optimal β-hexosaminidase release of RBL-2H3 cells were induced with Gly followed by OVA; no significant response and <10% release were obtained with PAP. Compared with the animal models, the RBL cell-based immunological assay is more suitable for evaluating the allergenic activity of food proteins based on the simple characteristics of the testing system. The RBL cell-based immunological assay may play a “referee” role when inconsistent results between a bioinformatical analysis and a pepsin digestion assay occur, and animal models may be used to further dissect the mechanisms of the allergic responses. Thus complementary applications between the RBL cell-based immunological assay and the decision tree strategies will be a good choice to conduct a complete evaluation of the allergenic potential of foods.

Food proteins from different allergen families sensitize Balb/c mice to family-specific immune responses

The classification of food allergens based on the structure and function of proteins contributes to the study of the relationship between bioinformatics and potential allergenicity of allergens. Food allergens always share sequence similarity with the allergens in the same allergen families. For that reason, food proteins from different allergen families may induce different patterns of immune responses in animal models. Female Balb/c mice (3–4-weeks-old) were sensitized with food proteins once per week for 4 weeks, and then challenged 2 weeks later (on Day 42 of study). Blood was collected (to obtain serum levels of histamine and protein-specific IgG1 and IgE antibodies) and measures of vascular permeability were performed 20 min after the challenge. Five food proteins (11S globulin, OVA [ovalbumin], HAS [human serum albumin] and LRP [lysine-responsive storage protein] of different allergen families, and Cry 1Ab/Ac [crystal protein]) were used to assess patterns of immune responses for each allergen family and then bioinformatics and digestive stability in simulated gastric fluid were employed to assess the overall utility of the Balb/c. The assay results indicated that, in this model, histamine and protein-specific IgE antibody levels and vascular permeability could be used to identify allergenicity of 11S globulin, OVA, and PAP (potato acid phosphatase) only. However, the results of the protein-specific IgG1 measures could only distinguish allergic food proteins with negative control. Based on bioinformatic analyses, the five different food proteins clearly induced distinct patterns of immune responses in the Balb/c model.