Vitamin C: An immunomodulator that attenuates anaphylactic reactions to soybean glycinin hypersensitivity in a swine model

To date, there is insufficient satisfactory therapeutic intervention for food-induced allergies caused by glycinin, the main storage globulin found in soybean protein. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible attenuation effects of oral supplementation with vitamin C on soybean glycinin-induced hypersensitivity using a swine model. Ten day old piglets that were intraperitoneally sensitised with purified soybean glycinin were orally challenged with a diet containing 4% glycinin. Vitamin C was administered starting one day prior to sensitisation and continuing everyday thereafter. Results showed that unsupplemented soybean glycinin sensitised piglets presented an increase in serum IgE and histamine release as well as occurrence of diarrhoea, but reduced performance. Vitamin C supplementation attenuated these indicators by increasing interferon-γ whilst decreasing interleukin-4 in the cultured primary splenocytes, which suppresses the Th2-type immune response. These results suggest that a mega-dose of vitamin C can be used to prevent soybean allergies.