PRODUCTION OF HYPOALLERGENIC RICE BY ENZYMATIC DECOMPOSITION OF CONSTITUENT PROTEINS

A method is proposed to produce hypoallergenic rice usable for patients with rice allergy. Newly harvested rice grains were dipped in carbonate (pH 9) containing glycerin monooleate and Actinase and then the mixture was exposed to a reduced pressure for degassing. The degassed mixture was incubated at 37°C for 24 hr to hydrolyze proteins. The process produced rice grains from which the major allergenic globulin was decomposed. The product was evaluated by the radioallergosorbent test (RAST), with the result that its RAST value suggested negative allergenicity in most cases. The product was clinically administered to 7 patients with atopic dermatitis and no allergic reaction was observed in 6 of the 7. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved