Immunomodulatory Effects of Quercetin on Crab Allergen-Induced Responses in THP-1 Derived Macrophages

Abstract

A serious and growing food hypersensitivity, shellfish allergy is mainly brought on by allergenic proteins like arginine kinase and tropomyosin.  As of right now, allergy avoidance and symptomatic therapy are the main therapeutic approaches because there is no proven cure. Although quercetin, a naturally found flavonoid with anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory qualities, has demonstrated promise in regulating allergic reactions, its precise effectiveness against crab allergens is yet unknown.  The current work used in vitro experimental methods to assess quercetin's inhibitory effects on crab allergenicity.  The results showed that crab has a significant probability for causing allergies. Important allergy mediators, including as β-hexosaminidase release, immunoglobulin E (IgE), histamine levels, histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity and pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and IL-4, were significantly reduced after quercetin treatment.  These results demonstrate that quercetin effectively lowers allergic responses associated with crab allergens, indicating its potential as a naturally occurring bioactive molecule for reducing allergenic hazards. This study finds intriguing applications for enhancing food safety and developing allergy-reducing functional meals. Further studies are necessary to verify these findings in vivo and explore the broader uses of quercetin in the management of food allergies. Graphical abstract showing allergenicity of crab and quercetins anti-allergic effect against crab proteins by in vitro study: