Thermally Stable Oleosin Is a Major, Cross-Reactive Allergen in Common Buckwheat ( <i>Fagopyrum esculentum</i> )
To address the underdiagnosis of buckwheat allergy caused by the loss of hydrophobic allergens during standard aqueous extraction, we aimed to isolate and characterize a novel lipid-associated allergen from common buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum esculentum</i>). An ∼18 kDa common buckwheat oleosin was enriched by lipid-soluble extraction, identified by mass spectrometry, and tested for IgE reactivity in sera from 18 buckwheat-sensitized patients; its structure was analyzed by circular dichroism. The oleosin-bound IgE in 9 of these 18 individuals, with OD<sub>450</sub> values ranging from 0.13 to 0.52. It displayed an α-helical structure with a melting temperature (<i>T</i><sub>m</sub>) of 53.2 °C. Competitive ELISA showed 2.5-75.0% inhibition of IgE binding by peanut, sesame, almond, and pistachio extracts, depending on the serum and allergen source. This work identifies oleosin as a clinically relevant, thermally stable buckwheat allergen with broad cross-reactivity, providing a molecular basis for improved diagnosis and food safety.
Authors
- Ting Jin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2296-0590)
- Kelong Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5111-0515)
- Yangshuhan Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9987-7926)
- Feng Chen
- Lulu Cheng
Institutions
- University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CN)
- Hefei University (CN)
- Integrated Chinese Medicine (China) (HK)
- Hefei National Center for Physical Sciences at Nanoscale (CN)
- Advanced Coatings (Belgium) (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
- Published
- 2026-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c17363
- Primary Topic
- Seed and Plant Biochemistry
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00