Effects of gamma radiation on the allergenic and antigenic properties of milk proteins

This study was carried out to evaluate the application of food irradiation technology as a method for reducing milk allergies. Bovine alpha -casein (A CA) and beta -lactoglobulin (BLG) were used as milk proteins. Using milk-hy persensitive patients' immunoglobulin E (IgE) and rabbit IgGs individually produced to ACA and BLG, the changes of allergenicity and antigenicity of i rradiated proteins were observed by competitive indirect enzyme-linked immu nosorbent assay. Allergenicity and antigenicity of the irradiated proteins were changed with different slopes of the inhibition curves. The disappeara nce of the band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresi s and increase of the turbidity showed that solubility of the proteins decr eased by radiation, and this decrease might be caused by agglomeration of t he proteins. These results indicated that epitopes on milk allergens were s tructurally altered by gamma irradiation.