The role of profilin and lipid transfer protein in strawberry allergy in the Mediterranean area

BACKGROUND: In contrast to other Rosaceae fruit, only few cases of patients with adverse reactions to strawberry are listed in literature. OBJECTIVE To identify allergenic proteins in strawberry and to express and characterize recombinant strawberry lipid transfer protein (LTP; rFra a 3). METHODS: Established apple-allergic patients were recruited on the basis of a reported allergic reaction to strawberry (n=28, confirmed by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge in four patients) or on the basis of IgE reactivity to LTP (n=34). Sensitization to purified natural and recombinant allergens was assessed by RAST, immunoblot (inhibition) and basophil histamine release (BHR). A strawberry cDNA library was screened for genes homologous to known fruit allergens. Fra a 3 was cloned and expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris and compared with peach and apple LTP by RAST, immunoblot-inhibition and BHR tests. RESULTS: Genes homologous to Bet v 1, Bet v 6, profilin and LTP were identified in a strawberry cDNA library. In BHR the rFra a 3 induced histamine release at a 100-fold higher concentration than peach LTP. RAST inhibition showed high cross-reactivity to peach and apple LTP, although IgE reactivity was lower by a factor 5. On strawberry immunoblot, patients' IgE showed reactivity to a Bet v 1 homologue, profilin, LTP and high-molecular weight bands. CONCLUSION: In addition to a Bet v 1 homologue, strawberry also contains IgE-binding profilin and LTP. The rFra a 3 has less allergenic potency than peach and apple LTP, and therefore is an interesting tool for future immunotherapy. Fra a 3 does not seem to be clinically relevan

Hemp-based adsorbents for sequestration of metals: a review

With the increasing focus on renewable materials and sustainability issues, the development of non-conventional materials from natural resources and possessing complexing properties is currently an area of extensive research due to their potential applications in biosorption processes for pollutant removal. Among them, the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa), an annual high yielding industrial crop grown for its fibres and seeds, is one of the most promising materials for biosorption of metal ions from diluted waste streams. In this review, an extensive list of hemp-based biosorbent literature has been compiled and discussed. After a brief description of hemp and its properties and applications, the review gives a general overview of liquid-solid biosorption processes for metal sequestration from aqueous solutions onto hemp-based materials