Einkorn Grain Proteins and Celiac Disease Immune Reactivity: What a Large Screening Study Found

Celiac.com 12/02/2025 - Researchers examined more than two hundred types of einkorn, an ancient wheat species, to see how strongly their grain proteins are recognized by the immune systems of people with celiac disease. Using a step-by-step process that combined blood-based tests, detailed protein mapping, and computer analysis, the team found wide differences among einkorn types. A small group of einkorn genotypes showed much lower immune reactivity than modern bread wheat. However, the study also confirmed that einkorn still contains gluten proteins capable of triggering immune responses. In short: some einkorn lines look less provocative to the immune system, but none were demonstrated to be safe for a gluten-free diet.

Why the Study Was Done

People are increasingly interested in ancient grains for taste, nutrition, and potential health advantages. Einkorn often has more minerals and natural pigments and a different balance of grain proteins compared with modern wheat. Because gluten proteins drive celiac disease, scientists wanted to learn whether certain einkorn types carry fewer of the specific protein fragments that activate the immune system in people with celiac disease. If meaningful differences exist, this could guide breeding, food processing, or medical nutrition research.

How the Researchers Studied It

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The team assembled 208 wild and cultivated einkorn genotypes from a national gene bank. They first used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure how strongly individual blood serum samples from people with active celiac disease bound to total grain protein extracts from each genotype. From this large prescreen, they selected a handful of genotypes that provoked the weakest immune binding for deeper testing.

Next, they measured gluten-reactive signals with two widely used antibody kits that target different harmful gluten peptide motifs. They also separated the grain proteins into their major families and quantified them with high performance liquid chromatography. Finally, they ran two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify which exact proteins and peptide sequences were being recognized, then mapped those sequences against known B-cell and T-cell epitopes that are important in celiac disease.

What They Found in the Large Prescreen

Immune responses varied widely across the 208 einkorn genotypes. Several genotypes consistently produced much lower immune binding than a modern bread wheat control when tested against multiple celiac disease serum samples. Two genotypes stood out as the lowest on average, and a small set of four was carried forward for in-depth profiling. This early result showed that einkorn is not uniform: some lines are far more reactive than others.

Deep Dive on the “Lower-Reacting” Genotypes

When the researchers measured gluten with commercial antibody kits, the selected einkorn genotypes showed substantially lower signals than the bread wheat control. Importantly, lower signal did not mean absence. The values were still consistent with the presence of gluten proteins, only at levels or sequence patterns that these tests recognized less strongly than in modern wheat.

Chemical profiling of protein families revealed something crucial: the total amount of gliadins and glutenins in these einkorn lines was often comparable to wheat, and sometimes the distribution among alpha-, gamma-, and omega-gliadins was different. That indicates the lowered immune signal is largely about which sequences are present, not that the grain is “low gluten.”

Which Proteins Drove Immune Recognition

Protein identification and mapping showed that the immune system of people with celiac disease recognized multiple protein classes. As expected, several gliadins and glutenins contained known immune-activating sequences. The pattern varied by genotype. For example, some “lower-reacting” genotypes lacked certain alpha-gliadin epitopes that are common in modern bread wheat, while others still carried them. Gamma-gliadins featured prominently and may play a larger role than many people assume.

The study also found immune recognition of non-storage proteins such as serpins and alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors. That does not mean these proteins cause celiac disease by themselves, but it suggests that people with active disease can develop antibodies that recognize a broader set of grain proteins, possibly because of increased intestinal permeability and cross-reactivity.

Key Takeaways the Authors Emphasize

• Einkorn genotypes are highly diverse in how strongly they trigger immune binding by celiac disease sera.
• A few genotypes showed markedly lower immune reactivity than bread wheat in multiple tests, yet still contained gluten proteins.
• Lower reactivity reflected differences in protein sequence content rather than a simple reduction in total gluten amount.
• Gamma-gliadins and certain epitope motifs remain present in most candidates and can be recognized by celiac antibodies.
• Because immune-active sequences remain, these genotypes are not suitable for a gluten-free diet. The authors suggest they might, in the future, be explored for specialized processing approaches or for conditions other than celiac disease, but that requires careful study.

Strengths and Limits of the Study

Strengths include the unusually large genetic panel, testing with individual human sera rather than pooled samples, and the combination of screening, protein chemistry, and sequence mapping. Limits include that the work was done in laboratory systems rather than clinical feeding studies, and that immune binding in a dish does not equal safety in real life. Also, while the antibody kits are widely used, they target specific motifs and may under- or over-represent real-world risk for particular grains.

What This Could Mean for People with Celiac Disease

For people with celiac disease, the bottom line is clear. Although some einkorn lines provoke lower immune signals than modern wheat in laboratory tests, they still contain gluten sequences that can activate the immune system. This means einkorn should not be added to a gluten-free diet. The more hopeful message is indirect: by pinpointing which grain proteins and exact sequences are most problematic, studies like this can guide plant breeders and food scientists toward safer innovations. That might include breeding grains with fewer high-risk sequences, developing processing steps that break down specific epitopes, or improving test methods that better reflect the proteins people encounter in real meals.

Until such advances are proven in rigorous human studies and reflected in clear labeling, anyone with celiac disease should continue to avoid einkorn and other wheat relatives. This research adds valuable detail on why that avoidance is still necessary, while also mapping a path for future solutions that could one day reduce hidden risks in grain-based foods.

Read more at: www.sciencedirect.com