Effect of Dietary Mannooligosaccharides on the Immune System of Ovalbumin-Sensitized Mice

The effects of the dietary mannooligosaccharides (MOS) from coffee mannan on the anti-allergic functions were examined using C3H/HeN mice. The mice were given water and a dietary treatment containing 2.5% MOS ad libitum. The mice were sensitized subcutaneously with ovalbumin on the 7th, 21st, and 35th days and then sensitized intraperitoneally on the 49th day of the study. S erum samples, Peyer’s patches and peritoneal exudate fluids were collected on the 50th day. In the non-ovalbumin sensitized groups, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was injected instead of ovalbumin. The number of peritoneal acidophils in the MOS diet-fed mice, was significantly lower than that in the control diet-fed ones. MOS treatment significantly reduced interleukin-10 production and tended to suppress ovalbumin-specific IgE in serum. However, it did not change interleukin-2 and interferonγ production. These results suggest that dietary MOS may have an anti-allergic effect, caused by activation of cellular immunity.