Abstract
As most rice allergens are proteins belonging to the albumin or globulin fraction, it can be expected that soaking uncooked rice in NaCl solution will cause a decrease in the amount of allergens present. Rice grains were soaked in NaCl solutions of different concentrations and temperatures for 24 hours, after which the soluble proteins and total proteins were extracted with 0.5M NaCl and 1% SDS solution, respectively. The proteins, particularly allergens, in each extract were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, immunoblot analysis and ELISA. Allergens of 14-16kDa and 26kDa were removed by dissolution to the greatest extent when the rice grains were soaked in 0.5M NaCl solution at 50°C, with the result that the amount of allergens in the rice grains decreased. The present results provide a useful method for producing hypoallergenic rice.
