Abstract
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•The bioaccessibility of allergens is low in a baked muffin matrix following gastric digestion.•Duodenal digestion increased allergen bioaccessibility and improved digestibility.•The allergens ovalbumin and Ara h 2 proved highly resistant to digestion.•Digestion reduced IgE binding to egg more extensively than towards peanut.
Baked matrices, such as muffin, may help to promote tolerance to food allergens by modifying allergen structure, digestibility, and capacity to stimulate the immune responses. However, the impact of the muffin matrix on the bioaccessibility of allergens in the gastrointestinal tract is not well understood.
Muffin containing egg and peanut was subjected to in vitro oral-gastro-duodenal digestion. During gastric digestion, the majority of the egg allergen Gal d 2 and the peanut allergens Ara h 1 and 3 were not bioaccessible. Subsequent duodenal digestion increased allergen bioaccessibility with Gal d 2 and the peanut allergen Ara h 2 proving highly resistant to digestion. The IgE reactivity of bioaccessible peanut allergens was retained to a greater extent than that of egg allergens after oral-gastric digestion. The starch and gluten-rich muffin matrix modifies allergen bioaccessiblity in a manner more similar to baked matrices such as bread, than low water activity matrices such as cookies.