Research progress on allergenic plant chitinases

Chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) are hydrolytic enzymes that catalyse the random cleavage of internal β-1, 4glycosidic linkages in the chitin polymer, and they occur in a wide range of organisms including plants, animals, and microorganisms. High-level expression of chitinases could enhance the resistance of plants to pest infestation, pathogens, and other environmental challenges. Recent studies have revealed that chitinases isolated from many common plant foods were allergens involved in the latex-fruit syndrome. The potential adverse health effects of allergenic plant chitinases have attracted much attention. Advances in researches on the distributions, structures, classifications of allergenic plant chitinases and their influence on food safety were summarized in this paper to provide guidelines for the isolation, structural identification, allergenicity assessment, and control of allergenic plant chitinases in foods.