Allergic reactivity of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) proteins

All food proteins have a potential to be allergic for some people. Nuts and legumes are some of the main food allergens, which are consumed by large numbers of people. Several researches had been reported about the allergenicity of peanut, soybean, tree nuts, but not of the bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea), one of the legumes consumed largely by the population in Indonesia. The reported study aimed to isolate bambara groundnut protein and to analyze its allergic reactivity. The protein isolate reactivity was tested by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting, involving six peanut and soybean allergic human sera. ELISA analysis showed that the bambara groundnut protein had allergenic proteins. Furthermore, immunoblotting analysis revealed that serum IgE from the donors could bind to individual allergens to various degrees, demonstrating the specificity of IgE reactivity. In conclusion, bambara groundnut contained allergenic proteins, and the research demonstrated a cross-reactivity to peanut and soybean.