Structural analogues inhibit the sensitizing capacity of carvone.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of non-allergenic structural analogues on the sensitizing potential of carvone, a fragrance allergen. The possibility that one molecule might inhibit the allergenic activity of another molecule has been debated for 25 years. The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials states that the sensitizing activity from certain fragrance aldehydes is "quenched" by the addition of other specific chemicals. However, other studies do not confirm the results, although several attempts have been made. We used a guinea pig method designed to study the sensitizing capacity of fragrance allergens. Induction was performed with either carvone alone or with a mixture of carvone and one of two analogues. A significant difference in the response rates (p < 0.001) was observed between the animals induced with carvone alone and those induced with any of the mixtures. Our investigation shows that by using selected molecules it is possible to significantly reduce the sensitizing effect of a fragrance allergen.