Screening and discovery of volatile allergenic components from artemisia ordosica in Yulin region of Northern China.

Allergic diseases are on the rise globally, and Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) has been identified as a key receptor mediating allergic diseases and pseudo-allergic reaction. The artemisia ordosica and other artemisia species are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, and has been demonstrated a strong association with allergic diseases, yet the specific allergenic substances are unclear. This study investigated artemisia ordosica as potential source of allergens. Combining the MRGPRX2-His-tag@VS/CMC model with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, five volatile components were identified as allergenic substances, including α-curcumene, (1S)-(-)-α-pinene, (1 R)-(+)-α-pinene, (-)-β-pinene, and (R)-(+)-limonene. Among these, α-Curcumene, a relatively abundant compound, exhibited the strongest allergenic activity both in vitro and in vivo models, inducing the release of β-hexosaminidase, histamine, and cytokines from mast cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, both the identified mixture of allergenic components and α-curcumene alone exhibited comparable allergenic activity to the artemisia ordosica extract in both local and systemic allergic reactions in mice. Notably, the total content of volatile allergenic components increased gradually with plant growth, reaching substantially higher levels in August and September, coinciding with higher average temperatures. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify the volatile allergenic components in artemisia ordosica and reveal their content variation throughout its growth cycle. Given the widespread distribution of artemisia species in various regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the shared presence of volatile allergenic components, these findings offer a valuable experimental basis for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases in areas where artemisia species are cultivated. SYNOPSIS: This study highlights the importance of investigating the volatile allergenic components of artemisia ordosica in the Yulin region. The identification of these allergenic components warrants further attention to the potential health risks associated with artemisia ordosica, especially concerning allergic diseases.