Detection of the tomato allergen Sola l 1 and evaluation of its reactivity after heat and papain treatment

ABSTRACTTo detect the tomato allergen profilin (Sola l 1) from fresh tomato and tomato-containing processed foods, we generated a rabbit polyclonal anti-Sola l 1 peptide antibody. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) based on the antibody was established for semiquantification of Sola l 1, and standard curves were generated using Sola l 1 homologue recombinant birch profilin (rBet v 2) as a calibrator. The mean concentration of tomato extracts was 25.6 ± 9.1 µg/g, and the concentrations of tomato-containing processed foods ranged from 13.3 to 24.8 µg/g. The reactivity of Sola l 1 after heat and papain treatment of tomato extracts was evaluated using competitive iELISA, and the results showed that Sola l 1 reactivity was stable with or without treatment. Our findings suggested that tomato-containing processed foods and fresh tomatoes both contained Sola l 1 and could have the potential to induce allergic symptoms in patients with tomato allergies.