Effect of walnut (Juglans regia) polyphenolic compounds on ovalbumin-specific IgE induction in female BALB/c mice

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1190; no. 1; pp. 58 - 69
• Main Authors: Comstock, Sarah S., Gershwin, Laurel J., Teuber, Suzanne S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.03.2010; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Allergies; allergy; Alum; Aluminum; Animals; antibodies; Antibody Formation - drug effects; Antigens; Cytokines - metabolism; Female; Flavonoids - chemistry; Flavonoids - immunology; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Food allergies; food allergy; food matrix; IgE; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Immunologic Factors - chemistry; Immunologic Factors - immunology; Juglans; Juglans - chemistry; Juglans regia; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; mouse; Ovalbumin - immunology; Phenols - chemistry; Phenols - immunology; Phenols - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; polyphenol; Polyphenols; Rodents; sensitization; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - metabolism; walnut
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05274.x

English walnuts are implicated in severe, IgE‐mediated food allergy in humans. We sought to determine if polyphenolic compounds extracted from the edible nut could promote IgE production to a coadministered allergen. BALB/c mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) with or without alum (AL) or polyphenolic‐enriched extract via intraperitoneal injection. Serum was analyzed for total IgE and OVA‐specific IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a/2b. Coadministration of walnut polyphenolic‐enriched extract with antigen and AL increased serum concentrations of antigen‐specific IgE and IgG1. When AL was excluded from the injections, polyphenolic extract tended to enhance OVA‐specific IgE and IgG1 over levels induced by OVA alone, but the increase did not reach significance. Serum IgG2a/2b levels were similar between mice receiving OVA/AL and OVA/AL with polyphenolics. Thus, walnut polyphenolic extract enhanced the Th2‐skewing effect of an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. This indicates that walnut polyphenolic compounds may play a role in allergic sensitization of genetically predisposed individuals.