Allergens in pollen from mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.). I. Partial characterization of allergen preparations from mugwort pollen with emphasis on the carbohydrate moiety.
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The results obtained in these studies show that certain mugwort allergens are extracted after 5 min extraction time and that there is little difference whether phosphate-buffered saline or NH4HCO3 is used as extraction buffer. An extraction time of 1 h appears to be sufficient for a quantitative extraction of the main part of the allergens present. When the extracts are dialyzed, cathodic antigens/allergens are lost. Addition of thiourea leads to a reduction in the coloured matter of the extract, but not in a sufficient degree to recommend the compound to be included in the extraction procedures of allergens from mugwort pollen. A few allergens are heat-resistant, and as these fractions are richer in carbohydrate than equivalent fractions not being heat-treated, these allergens might be of glycoprotein nature. Structural features of the carbohydrate moiety are also described as well as the total amino acid composition of the protein moiety.