1992 Volume 38 Issue 5 Pages 418-424
Identification of allergen in foods is predominantly reported in relation to food and allergic response ; there have been very few reports on antiallergic components in foods. The effect of vegetable foods on immediate allergic reaction was evaluated using a newly developed assay method. This method is advantageous in that, since it uses rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3), cells of high purity are easy to obtain, and a release of chemical mediator determines by colorimetry the enzyme activity of β-hexosaminidase. A total of 44 vegetable foods were investigated for their effects on β-hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells. Allium plants such as garlic, Chinese chive, Welsh onion, turfed stone leek, onion, and ginger and east Indian lotus showed release-inhibitory action. This inhibitory action was not caused by the cell death. For each of the vegetable foods found to inhibit β-hexosaminidase release, the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the reaction mixture was determined. Garlic and Chinese chive showed very strong inhibitory values in IC50, while sweet pepper showed release promotive action as demonstrated by its action of injurying the cells. Thus, it was suggested that vegetable foods were related to the immediate allergy.
