Detection of Parvalbumin Fish Allergen in Canned Tuna by Real-Time PCR Driven by Tuna Species and Can-Filling Medium

Abstract

Canned tuna is considered one of the most popular and most commonly consumed products in the seafood market, globally. However, in past decades, fish allergens have been detected as the main concern regarding food safety in these seafood products and are listed as the top eight food allergies. In the group of fish allergens, parvalbumin is the most common. As a thermally stable and calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin can be easily altered with changing the food matrices. This study investigated the effect of a can-filling medium (tomato sauce, spices, and brine solutions) on the parvalbumin levels in canned tuna. The effect of pH, calcium content, and the DNA quality of canned tuna was also investigated before the parvalbumin-specific encoded gene amplification. The presence of fish allergens was determined by melting curve analyses and confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The obtained results showed that the presence of parvalbumin in commercially canned tuna was driven by can-filling mediums, thermal conductivity, calcium content, and the acidity of various ingredients in food matrices. The intra-specific differences revealed a variation in fish allergens that are caused by cryptic species. This study proved that allergens encoding gene analyses by agarose electrophoresis could be used as a reliable approach for other food-borne allergens in complex food matrices.

Thermostable allergens in canned fish: Evaluating risks for fish allergy

“…This highlights that common protein-based analytical methods lack sensitivity and thus require other methods for the detection of PV in canned fish as an in vitro diagnostic tool. 44 Contrary to the common belief, we found that PV in canned fish was not destroyed during the retorting process despite the common belief. While the cooked extracts in this study represent the conventional heating preparation of fish (such as at home), all canned fish products investigated would have gone through an extreme heating process of 110-121°C.…”

“…By contrast, there were clearly distinct sIgE bindings to PVs in the same canned fish extracts (see Figure 1D), suggesting the protein amount was not the cause of this phenomenon. This highlights that common protein‐based analytical methods lack sensitivity and thus require other methods for the detection of PV in canned fish as an in vitro diagnostic tool 44 …”

Au@Ag Core–Shell Nanoparticles for Colorimetric and Surface-Enhanced Raman-Scattering-Based Multiplex Competitive Lateral Flow Immunoassay for the Simultaneous Detection of Histamine and Parvalbumin in Fish

“…50 Likewise histamine, parvalbumin is also thermally stable, and its content in canned food might vary depending on techniques employed during food processing. 51,52 Therefore, the development of strategies for the detection and quantification of histamine and parvalbumin in canned tuna fish is of relevance. 52,53 ■ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Synthesis and Analysis of SERS Tags.…”

“…51,52 Therefore, the development of strategies for the detection and quantification of histamine and parvalbumin in canned tuna fish is of relevance. 52,53 ■ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Synthesis and Analysis of SERS Tags. For the fabrication of the SERS tags specific for histamine or βparvalbumin, we chose spherical Au@Ag core−shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) as plasmonic nanoparticles since they exhibit stronger extinction cross-section and SERS efficiency than Au nanospheres.…”

“…In tuna it is significantly higher in white than in red muscle, as well as in ventral and dorsal portions of the white muscle . Likewise histamine, parvalbumin is also thermally stable, and its content in canned food might vary depending on techniques employed during food processing. , Therefore, the development of strategies for the detection and quantification of histamine and parvalbumin in canned tuna fish is of relevance. , …”