Shedding light on the interaction of ovalbumin and resveratrol: structure, digestibility, transport, and allergenicity assessment of OVA–RES complexes

BACKGROUND The interaction between food allergens and plant polyphenols has become a safe and effective management strategy to prevent food allergies. Ovalbumin (OVA) is the most abundant allergen in egg whites. Resveratrol (RES) is a plant polyphenol that is abundant in red grapes, berries, and peanuts, and has an anti-allergic effect on allergy-related immune cells. However, there is little information about the effect of RES on the allergenicity of OVA. In this study, the effect of RES on the allergenicity of OVA was investigated. RESULTS Molecular docking and spectroscopic studies indicated that the addition of RES changed the structure of OVA. The digestion and transfer rate of OVA–RES were effectively improved with an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model and Caco-2 cell model, especially when the molar ratio of OVA–RES was 1:20. Meanwhile, the KU812 cell degranulation assay proved that the potential allergenicity was remarkably decreased while the molar ratios of OVA–RES were increased to 1:20. Furthermore, hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces were the dominating forces to stabilize the OVA–RES complexes. CONCLUSION All the findings demonstrated that the potential allergenicity of OVA was reduced when interacting with RES, and RES can be a potential food material for preparing a hypoallergenic protein, especially for egg allergy. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.