The latex from Hevea brasiliensis, the commercial source of natural
rubber, is composed of about 36% of rubber fraction, 5% of non-
rubbers components such as protein, lipid and sugar, with water
accounting for the remaining 59%. The rubber particles are generally
spherical, although medium-sized and larger ones in latex from
certain mature trees may be pear shaped (1). Previously, it was
proposed that natural rubber particles are protected by a complex film
containing proteins and lipids (2), and that these lipids and proteins
layers were the inner and outer layers of rubber particle, respectively
(3). It has been proposed that proteins contaminating natural rubber
products, such as gloves and condoms, may be responsible for allergic
reactions in some people exposed to NR latex.