A molecule, produced by intestinal bacteria, would prevent, or at least reduce food allergies.
- Eggs, cow’s milk proteins and peanuts are among the main foods responsible for food allergies.
- In the most serious cases, the allergy can lead to anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.
When eating becomes painful. According to’Health Insurance, about 3% of adults and 6% of children suffer from food allergies in Europe. The ingestion of an allergenic food causes reactions of the immune system: asthma, eczema, abdominal pain or even hives. During the congress of the american chemical societyan American learned society for scientific research in chemistry, which takes place from August 21 to 25 in Chicago, researchers have presented a promising chemical compound to treat or even prevent food allergies.
A particularly unpleasant odor and taste
In the intestine, we have as many bacteria as there are cells in the body, more than a million million. Among them, some produce metabolites that promote the growth of good bacteria. If a person’s microbiota is out of balance and lacks these metabolite-producing bacteria, fragments of partially digested food can leak out of the gut and cause an immune reaction, such as allergy. Butyrate is one of these beneficial metabolites for the microbiota. Previous scientific studies have shown it to be promising in the prevention of food allergies, thanks to laboratory tests.
Unfortunately, the tests with humans ended in failure. “Butyrate has a very bad smell, like dog poo and rancid butter, and it also tastes bad, so people wouldn’t want to swallow it“, explains Shijie Cao, co-author of this new study. Also, he found that it was digested too quickly. In this new work, the scientists found a way to more easily administer this compound to people with allergies.
A restoration of the microbiota
The researchers polymerized the butyrate with methacrylic acid or hydroxypropyl methacrylamide. The resulting polymers self-assembled into aggregates, or polymeric micelles: which helped hide the butyrate side chains in the core, masking the compound’s foul odor and taste. A first trial was conducted on mice: the scientists administered the polymeric micelles to them. Some mice had been made allergic to peanuts by the researchers, the administration of the treatment restored their microbiota, and increased the production of peptides which kill harmful bacteria, leaving more room for those producing butyrate. “More importantly, administration of micelles to allergic mice prevented a life-threatening anaphylactic response when exposed to peanuts.”note the researchers.
Upcoming tests
They specify that the treatment could be applied to all food allergies, but other trials must be carried out, on other animals and on humans. If successful, the treatment could simply take the form of small granules to be diluted in water.