This study aims to identify Macadamia integrifolia allergens belonging to the family of non-specific lipid transfer proteins, seed storage proteins and antimicrobial peptides.. Identification and characterization of Macadamia integrifolia allergens

The nuts of Macadamia integrifolia are gaining increasing popularity as ingredients in nut mixes, cakes, biscuits and many other food products. As other tree nuts, they contain valuable nutrients (e.g. unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants) which contribute to a healthy diet. However, macadamia nut has been reported to be a potent elicitor of allergic reactions with mild to severe clinical symptoms. There is still no information regarding the identity of the relevant allergens. In this study, identification of macadamia allergens is performed by a combination of sequence homology searches and mass-spectrometric proteome analysis.