Allergenicity of dominant aeropollen in Nigeria (Part II)
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Date
2018
Authors
Adeniyi, T. A.
Adeonipekun, P. A.
Olowokudejo, J. D.
Akande, I.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Allergy Society of South Africa (ALLSA)
Abstract
Until the publication of the Part I of this research series, the purification and characterisation of allergenic components in pollen grains did not exist in Nigeria. To close this gap, Part II is presented here. Four pollen grains – Alchornea cordifolia (Schumach et Thonn) Mull Arg (Christmas bush), Amaranthus hybridus L (African spinach ‘green’), Casuarina equisetifolia L (whistling pine) and Terminalia catappa L (Indian almond tree) – found dominant in the air from previous aeropalynological studies in Nigeria were selected. Pollen grains were collected from anthers (through crushing and sieving) and their proteins were extracted and quantified (using standard methods), separated (using SDS-PAGE) and subjected to an allergenicity test (using Western-blot). After this, the allergenic proteins were identified and their peptide sequences were deposited in the proteomics database. A hybridus had the highest protein content (19.15 mg/mL), whereas C equisetifolia had the lowest (7.48 mg/mL). However, hypersensitive individuals were most susceptible (84%) to the 58 kDa protein in A cordifolia. Each of the pollens studied had one dominant allergenic protein. These protein bands were newly registered in the database, since there were no previous entries. Profilin (14 kDa) was the group to which two of the protein bands belong (T catappa and A hybridus) – an indication of the broad-spectrum immunotherapeutic potential of Profilin. Part II is the first study in Nigeria to report allergenic proteins in these pollen grains, and it is hoped that the results will spur further research in allergenic proteins to aid allergy diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria.
Description
Staff Publications
Keywords
Allergenicity Test , Immunotherapy , Pollen Grains , Nigeria , Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES
Citation
Adeniyi, T. A., Adeonipekun, P. A., Olowokudejo, J. D. and Akande, I. (2018). Allergenicity of dominant aeropollen in Nigeria (Part II). Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology 31(3): 178 - 183