Abalone viscera (AV) is one of the byproducts of the seafood processing industry. The low molecular weight (<5 kDa) peptides (LMW-AV) obtained from gastrointestinal digestion of AV could suppress allergenic responses on activated HMC-1 human mast cells in our previous study. Regarding the allergenic response of LMW-AV, in the present study, we further investigated the potential of oral administration of LMW-AV against atopic dermatitis (AD) in a dermatitis-induced model stimulated with Dermatophagoides farinae. The results demonstrated that the LMW-AV reduced a number of clinical symptoms, such as the severity of the dermatitis and serum immunoglobulin E levels. Moreover, LMW-AV could inhibit the expression of chemokines and cytokines. The histological analysis indicated that the LMW-AV has suppressed the eosinophil count and the mast cell infiltration into the upper dermis. The results suggest that LMW-AV can be considered as a promising candidate for AD treatment.
Keywords: Dermatophagoides farina; Haliotis discus hannai; abalone viscera; atopic dermatitis; gastrointestinal digest.