High-pressure-modified silkworm pupae protein attenuates autophagy-related alterations associated with immune tolerance.

Silkworm pupae protein (SPP) is a sustainable protein source, but its application is limited by allergenicity and insufficient immune tolerance. This study investigated the immunological mechanisms underlying the reduced allergenicity of SPP following high pressure processing (HPP), with a focus on dendritic cell (DC) autophagy. In a murine food allergy model, SPP sensitization significantly upregulated autophagy-related genes (Atg5, Atg7, and Becn1) and increased ATG5 and LC3-II protein expression while reducing p62 levels in DCs. Functionally, HPP-SPP promoted regulatory T cell (Treg) expansion in vivo, restoring CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg frequencies from 9.10% in SPP-sensitized mice to 11.43%, approaching control levels. Moreover, dendritic cell-enriched populations from HPP-SPP-treated mice promoted Treg differentiation and modulated cytokine profiles in DC-CD4+ T cell co-cultures. These findings suggest a potential association between attenuated autophagy-related alterations and improved immune regulatory responses following HPP-SPP treatment.