ABSTRACT
Vaccines have emerged as a promising medical intervention for immunoprophylaxis, as a cost-effective approach particularly in developing countries. The idea of edible vaccines came from a group of philanthropic organizations led by the World Health Organization who launched the children’s vaccine initiative to set goals for developing vaccines that are safe, heat stable, orally administered, and widely accessible in 1990. Plant-derived vaccines offer increased safety, envision low-cost programs for mass vaccination, and propose a wider use of vaccination for human and veterinary use. Nasal and oral are the most effective route for mucosal immunization as the mucosal immune system is the first line of defense and the most effective site for vaccination against pathogens. The concept of edible vaccine can help to meet these challenges as they require cold chains for storage. A critical issue of edible plant-based vaccine development is the compatibility of the antigen with cooking and loss of antigenicity of antigens at acidic pH.
