f54 Sweet potato

f54 Sweet potato Scientific Information

Type:

Whole Allergen

Display Name:

Sweet potato

Family:

Convolvulaceae

Latin Name:

Ipomoea batatas

Other Names:

Sweet Potato, Sweetpotato, Yam, Batata

Clinical Relevance

IgE-mediated reactions

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Sweet potato can occasionally induce symptoms of food allergy in sensitized individuals; however, no studies have been reported to date.
IgE antibodies to Sweet potato have been measured in children (1, 2) and in adults (3) using the Pharmacia ImmunoCAP® System. Other species of Ipomea are involved in allergic pollinosis (4).

Other reactions

Sweet potato has been implicated as a cause of infantile food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), a severe, cell-mediated gastrointestinal food hypersensitivity typically provoked by Cow’s milk or Soy (5).
In a study of subjects with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 70 fresh food extracts were applied to the back by the prick-by-prick method. SPT was positive in 17 (38.6%) treated patients, in 5 (16.1%) untreated patients and in 1 (3.3%) control. Three of 44 (17.6) of the treated patients were skin prick test-positive for Sweet potato (6).
Sweet potato may be infected with the mould Fusarium solani, which produces a toxic substance, furanoterpenoid (7).

Molecular Aspects

No allergens from this plant have yet been characterized.
A beta-amylase has been isolated. It showed 50-60% amino acid sequence identity with beta-amylases from Soybean and Barley, and about 25% with bacterial beta-amylases deduced from cDNA sequences (8). Its allergenic potential has not been evaluated.

Cross-reactivity

An extensive cross-reactivity among the different individual species of the genus could be expected, as well as to a certain degree among members of the family Convolvulaceae (9).

Compiled By

Last reviewed: April 2022

References

Matsumaru S AMea. Clinical evaluation of Pharmacia CAP System new allergens for fish, vegetables, fruits and grains. Paper presented at Jap Soc Ped Allergol. 1992.
Yamada M TS. Clinical evaluation of Pharmacia CAP System new food and inhalant allergens. Japanese Soc Allergol. 1992.
Konatsu H MK, Ikezawa Z. Study of clinical efficacy of Pharmacia CAP System new allergens in patients with atopic dermatitis. Paper presented at Japanese Soc of Allergology. 1992.
Mondal AK, Parui S, Mandal S. Protein profile of the allergenic pollen of Ipomoea fistulosa L.--a comparative study. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM. 1998;5(2):131-4.
Nowak-Wegrzyn A, Sampson HA, Wood RA, Sicherer SH. Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome caused by solid food proteins. Pediatrics. 2003;111(4 Pt 1):829-35.
Jun DW, Lee OY, Yoon HJ, Lee SH, Lee HL, Choi HS, et al. Food intolerance and skin prick test in treated and untreated irritable bowel syndrome. World journal of gastroenterology. 2006;12(15):2382-7.
Parasakthy K, Shanthi S, Devaraj SN. Lung injury by furanoterpenoids isolated from Fusarium solani infected sweet potato, Ipomea batatas. Indian journal of experimental biology. 1993;31(4):397-8.
Toda H, Nitta Y, Asanami S, Kim JP, Sakiyama F. Sweet potato beta-amylase. Primary structure and identification of the active-site glutamyl residue. European journal of biochemistry. 1993;216(1):25-38.
L Y. Botanical relations and immunological cross-reactions in pollen allergy. 2nd ed Pharmacia Diagnostics AB Uppsala Sweden. 1982.