Legume allergy: binding epitopes, detection methods, mitigation techniques, diagnosis and immunotherapy strategies

Legume foods are not only trendy but also rich in nutrients and offer unique health benefits. Nevertheless, allergies to soy and other legumes have emerged as critical issues in food safety, presenting significant challenges to the food processing industry and impacting consumer health. The complexity of legume allergens, coupled with inadequate allergen identification methods and the absence of robust detection and evaluation systems, complicates the management of these allergens. Here, we provide a comprehensive and critical review, mentioning various aspects related to legume allergies, including the types of legume allergens, the mechanisms behind these allergies, and the immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding epitopes involved, summarizing and discussing the detection techniques and the impact of different processing techniques on sensitization to legume proteins. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of research advances in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for legume allergens and discusses current challenges and prospects for studying legume allergens.