Dietary pulverized konjac [Japanese food made from Amorphophallus konjac] glucomannan prevents the development of allergic rhinitis-like symptoms and IgE response in mice

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 71; no. 10; pp. 2551 - 2556
• Main Authors: Onishi, N.(Hiroshima Univ., Higashi-hiroshima (Japan)), Kawamoto, S, Ueda, K, Yamanaka, Y, Katayama, A, Suzuki, H, Aki, T, Hashimoto, K, Hide, M, Ono, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry 01.10.2007; Japan Society for Bioscience Biotechnology and Agrochemistry; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; ALIMENT TRANSFORME; ALIMENTOS PROCESADOS; allergic rhinitis; AMORPHOPHALLUS; Animals; ANTIBODIES; ANTICORPS; ANTICUERPOS; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HYPERSENSITIVITY; IgE; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Interferon-gamma - analysis; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Interleukin-4 - analysis; Interleukin-4 - immunology; Interleukin-5 - analysis; Interleukin-5 - immunology; MANANOS; MANNANE; MANNANS; Mannans - administration & dosage; Mannans - chemistry; Mannans - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Molecular Weight; Monocytes - metabolism; Ovalbumin - immunology; Powders - administration & dosage; PROCESSED FOODS; pulverized konjac glucomannan; REACCIONES ALERGICAS; REACTION ALLERGIQUE; RHINITE; RHINITIS; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal - prevention & control; RINITIS; Sneezing - drug effects; Spleen - cytology; Viscosity; Vertebrata; Immunoglobulins; Mammalia; Diet; Mouse; pulverized konjac glucomannan; IgE; Rodentia; allergic rhinitis
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.70378

Konjac is a traditional Japanese food with a peculiar texture, and it has been suggested that its main ingredient, konjac glucomannan (KGM), ameliorates metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypercholesteremia. We have found that feeding with pulverized KGM (PKGM) prevents skin inflammation in a murine model of atopic dermatitis. Here, we show that dietary PKGM suppresses allergic rhinitis-like symptoms in mice upon immunization and nasal sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA). The PKGM-fed mice showed a much lower frequency of sneezing than in control animals. We also found that PKGM supplementation exclusively suppressed OVA-specific IgE response without affecting IgG1/IgG2a responses as well as systemic Th1/Th2 cytokine production. These results suggest that PKGM can be a beneficial foodstuff in preventing nasal allergy such as seasonal pollinosis.