Researchers are building on the success of the Boiled Oral Peanut Immunotherapy (BOPI) trial, to explore how wet-thermal processing, specifically soaking and boiling, affects the allergenicity of cashew and pistachio.
The new study revealed that while soaking had negligible effects, extended boiling (1-4 hours) significantly reduced allergen-specific IgG and human-specific IgE binding by altering allergen structures through denaturation and degradation. After 4 hours, notable reductions were seen in potent cashew and pistachio allergens, Ana o 3 and Pis v 1, respectively. These findings suggest that extended boiling can effectively reduce tree nut allergenicity, offering a promising approach for oral immunotherapy through gradual exposure to modified tree nut allergens.
In a different study, researchers have developed an innovative, unlabelled electrochemical immunosensor capable of detecting the major sesame oleosin allergens, Ses i 4 and Ses i 5. This novel sensor, built with a composite of gold nanoparticles, polyethyleneimine, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, shows a linear detection range of 50 to 800 ng/L with detection limits of 0.616 ng/L for Ses i 4 and 0.307 ng/L for Ses i 5. It is highly selective and stable, offering a significant advancement in the rapid quantification of sesame allergens in foods.
Compared with traditional tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the immunosensor successfully quantified the levels of Ses i 4 and Ses i 5 in sesame seeds roasted at temperatures of 120 °C, 150 °C, and 180 °C.
Reference 1: Shwe Yee, N. et al., Development of Cashew and Pistachio Ladders through a Food-Processing Approach. Foods 2024, 13, 3440. DOI: 10.3390/foods13213440
Reference 2: Li, H. et al., Development of a Novel Electrochemical Immunosensor for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Sesame Allergens Ses i 4 and Ses i 5. Foods 2025, 14, 115. DOI: 10.3390/foods14010115
