Influence of Gamma Irradiation on Porcine Serum Albumin Structural Properties and Allergenicity.

Pork provides an ideal source of food energy; however, pork can elicit an allergic reaction, and porcine serum albumin (PSA) has been identified as a major allergen. This study examined the impact of gamma irradiation on the allergenicity and structural qualities of PSA; the PSA solution was gamma-irradiated at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 kGy. Allergenicity was investigated by immunoblotting and competitive indirect ELISA using serum from patients who are allergic to pork, and conformational changes in irradiated PSA were measured by circular dichroism, sulfhydryl group detection, and fluorescence emission spectra. The secondary and tertiary structures of gamma-irradiated PSA were altered, and the allergenicity of PSA was lowered by boosting the amount of irradiation. In addition, there is high correlation between depletion in the α-helix and immunoglobulin E-binding capability of PSA. The results show a new possibility in using gamma irradiation to reduce the allergenicity of pork products.