Acknowledgement
Supported by : 농림수산식품부
Skin contact allergy (SCA) is not life-threatening, but a large number of people have been suffered from the reactions caused by various kinds of chemicals and products. Thus, in this study, radiation technology was employed to improve the traditional herb addition method on the SCA reduction of Rhus verniciflua sap (RVS). Rhus verniciflua has traditionally been used as an herbal medicine plant, but its urushiol derivatives are known as a major allergen for the SCA. The present study was commenced to assess the allergenicity of both gamma-irradiated and non-irradiated RVS by using guinea-pig maximization test (GPMT) in order to probe the mechanism of an SCA. In the acute dermal irritation assays, non-irradiated RVS caused erythema, but the irradiated RVS did not provoke any erythema on the abdominal skin of the guinea pigs. From the result of the GPMT, urushiols, the main chemical components of RVS, were identified as an extreme skin sensitizer, and the removal of urushiols by irradiation extremely reduced the erythema. These results suggest that radiation technology is a novel method to reduce SCA through the removal of urushiols of RVS.
Supported by : 농림수산식품부