Research Advancements in Peanut Proteins, Their Allergenic Potentials, and the Approaches to Mitigate Peanut Allergenicity

With increasing interest and demand for plant protein-based foods, the allergenicity of plant proteins has been placed in a very important position. Among plant food allergens, peanuts have been considered the most potent because peanuts often cause severe allergic reactions, even life-threatening anaphylaxis. It is well-known that allergenic proteins in peanuts trigger peanut-induced allergic reactions through binding to the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in the patients sensitive to peanuts. So far, eighteen peanut allergens have been identified. These allergens belong to different protein superfamilies with distinctive characteristics and allergenic potentials. Due to the rapid rise in peanut allergy prevalence in the past few decades, many studies have been conducted to reveal the effects of primary structures (epitopes) and conformational structures of peanut proteins on their allergenicity and to explore methods and strategies to mitigate peanut allergenicity and peanut allergy. This comprehensive review highlights the nutritional value of peanut protein related to its amino acid composition, the current prevalence of peanut allergies and its impacts on quality of life, the recent research findings on the characteristics and allergenic potential of individual peanut allergens, and the potential and challenges of different approaches and methods for mitigating peanut allergenicity.