Celiac.com 08/28/2013 - Researchers at Washington State University are 'very close' to developing celiac-safe wheat strains, says lead project researcher Diter von Wettstein.

Rich Koenig, associate dean and director of WSU Extension, says the wheat project involves removing the gluten material that causes the adverse reaction in people who have celiac disease.

Von Wettstein says that his team has developed wheat hybrids that have 76.4 percent less gluten proteins than conventional strains, and that the next step is to eliminate the remaining percentage.

Von Wettstein is working two distinct angles on this project. The first approach uses genetic modification, while the seconds does not. He acknowledges that doing it without genetic modification "would be better…But in the end, if the only way to do this is through genetic modification of wheat, it could still be a major advancement for people who suffer from that disease."

The projects may still take a while as von Wettstein works to identify, selectively silence and remove the responsible genes.

One caveat is that even if the project is successful, the wheat may not produce flour suitable for baking, though Koenig says that producing wheat suitable for people with celiac disease would be, nonetheless, an "important subsection of wheat production"

Funding for von Wettstein's research is coming from The National Institutes of Health and Washington State's Life Science Discovery Fund.

Celiac.com 07/31/2013 - People with celiac disease react to specific proteins in wheat, and a team of scientists from Washington State University are attempting to develop new varieties of wheat that suppress those proteins and are safe for those with celiac disease.

Currently, they can silence nearly 90 percent of the protein that causes a gluten reaction. They hope their research efforts will lead them to a strain that suppress 100% of the proteins that trigger gluten reactions.

Since people with celiac disease react to specific proteins in wheat, the simple solution is to eliminate those proteins to develop an allergy-free wheat.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, wheat is made up of three groups of proteins : gliadins, low molecular weight glutenin subunits and high molecular weight glutenin subunits.

The majority of people with celiac disease can tolerate the high molecular weight glutenin proteins, so the Washington State scientists attempted to silence the genetic expression of the other proteins in wheat.

The high molecular weight glutenins are necessary for baking, so the wheat should produce flour suitable for a variety of breads and dough.

The researchers are using a genetic technique called RNA interference, that has enabled them to silence the expression of more than 80 percent of the wheat genes associated with autoimmune reactions.

“With our molecular genetic technologies we have wheat plants that silence 85.6 percent of the immunogenic genes,” said Diter von Wettstein, a plant science professor at Washington State. “The chances of getting plants with more than 90 percent silencing is good.”

Such wheat hybrids might not work for all people with celiac disease, but could they provide benefits for the majority of people with celiac disease?

What do you think? Would you try it? Share your thoughts below.

Read More at Open Original Shared Link.

Celiac.com 06/05/2013 - In the west, sorghum has traditionally been used to feed livestock. However, in Africa and India, it has long been used to feed people.

Recently, U.S. farmers have begun producing sorghum hybrids that are white in color, known as "food-grade" sorghum. In an effort to determine if these new hybrids are safe for people with celiac disease, a team of researchers set out to make a detailed molecular study.

The team included Paola Pontieri, Gianfranco Mamone, Salvatore De Caro, Mitch R. Tuinstra, Earl Roemer, Josephine Okot, Pasquale De Vita, Donatella B. M. Ficco, Pietro Alifano, Domenico Pignone, Domenica R. Massardo, and Luigi Del Giudice.

They are variously affiliated with the Istituto di Genetica Vegetale (IGV), CNR−Portici, c/o Dipartimento di Biologia, Sezione di Igiene, Napoli 80134, Italy, the Istituto di Genetica e Biofisica “Adriano Buzzati-Traverso” (IGB-ABT), CNR, in Napoli, Italy, the Istituto di Scienze dell’Alimentazione (ISA), CNR, in Avellino, Italy, with the Consiglio per la Ricerca e la sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Centro di Ricerca per la Cerealicoltura (CRA-CER) in Foggia, Italy, the Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali at the Università degli Studi di Lecce, Italy, and the Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, CNR, in Bari, Italy, with the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the Nu Life Market in Healy, Kansas in the United States, with Victoria Seeds Ltd. in Kampala, Uganda.

Their study, which includes molecular evidence that sorghum lacks the proteins toxic to people with celiac disease, appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Paola Pontieri and colleagues explain that those gluten proteins, present in wheat and barley, trigger an immune reaction in people with celiac disease that can cause abdominal pain and discomfort, constipation, diarrhea and other symptoms.

This strong new biochemical evidence shows that these sorghum hybrids are safe for people with celiac disease.

The researchers describe evidence from an analysis of the recently published sorghum genome, the complete set of genes in the plant, and other sources, that verify the absence of gluten proteins. They also note that sorghum has provides high nutritional value.

Their report concludes that "[f]ood-grade sorghums should be considered as an important option for all people, especially celiac patients."

The authors acknowledge funding from the Regione Campania, the Istituto Banco di Napoli -- Fondazione and the Compagnia di San Paolo.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

The research team included Rafał Ziobroa, Teresa Witczakb, Lesław Juszczakc, and Jarosław Korusa. They are affiliated with the Department of Carbohydrates Technology, the Department of Engineering and Machinery for Food Industry, and the Department of Analysis and Evaluation of Food Quality, at the University of Agriculture, in Krakow, Poland.

For their study they made gluten-free breads from dough that included albumin, collagen, pea, lupine or soy protein.

They then analyzed the rheological properties of the dough, and found that bread made with added test proteins showed major differences in its visco-elastic properties.

Different flours had different effects on specific volume of the loaves. Soy protein and collagen reduced bread volume, while lupine and albumin significantly increased bread volume.

In each case, the added proteins had a noticeable impact on the color and textural properties of bread crumbs.

Most of the protein preparations significantly decreased hardness and chewiness of the crumb compared to the control sample.

Overall, the dough that contained pea protein yielded bread with the most acceptable qualities. The study demonstrated that pea protein created the most acceptable flavor, color, smell and bread crumb in the final product.

Soy protein proved to be the least acceptable of those tested, as it produced loaves with smaller volume and a compact structure. The results of this study show that adding pea protein can improve bread quality, and help to slow staling of starch based bread.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 05/14/2013 - Despite the fact that millet is more nutritious than wheat, as well as other gluten-free grains, modern science lacks the processing technologies to manufacture it on a large scale. Millet is an age-old grain, however we have yet to harness its full potential due to this drawback.

The preparation of millet includes fermentation, decortication, milling, and sieving. Most of millet being processed today is currently being down on a household level in rural areas, and due to this fact its availability is limited in urban areas. Another challenge with increasing millet production is making sure the nutritional properties are not depleted during the process.

Current health benefits of millet include high anti-oxidants which could mean a reduced risk of cancer. It is also used more and more in diabetic products because it is high in polyunsaturated fat.

While there currently isn't a system to produce millet on a large scale, there is research being done in this area. Perhaps in the near future we will see this grain being produced on the scale needed to make it common place in gluten-free products.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

Gluten is a complex mix of proteins stored in kernels of wheat, barley and rye. Some, but not all, of these proteins trigger the immune reactions seen in celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Scientists have already experimented with another method that involves sifting through various kinds of wheat and barley in search of types that contain little or no offensive gluten proteins in their grains.

So far, researchers have found wheat varieties that lack some of the important allergenic proteins, but they have yet to find a variety that is completely safe for people with celiac disease.

That fact led the research team led by Shanshan Wen of Washington State University in Pullman and colleagues, to try a new approach that focused on a key enzyme that helps to trigger a group of genes that produce the most reactive gluten proteins.

To do this, they used a genetic engineering trick that eliminated the key enzyme altogether. The resulting seeds wheat kernels showed sharply lower levels of these reactive gluten proteins.

The research team predicts that, with more more tinkering, they will be able to create a line of wheat that completely eliminates the problem proteins, and keeps the non-problem proteins in the wheat.

According to their write-up, they feel that they have good odds of creating wheat that is safe for people with celiac disease, and suitable for producing good bread and baked goods.

If successful, they will then begin testing the results in cell cultures, mice and gluten-sensitive apes.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 11/20/2012 - Gluten-free diets are making headlines and trimming waistlines. For those with celiac disease, gluten–free living is prescribed to ensure proper nutrient absorption, but just about everyone can benefit from eliminating gluten from their diet. While going gluten free may sound difficult, the benefits such as increased energy and a smaller belt size are well worth the effort.

Cutting gluten from your diet is not synonymous with cutting taste. There are so many delicious gluten-free substitutes, one of which is garbanzo bean flour. Garbanzo bean flour, also know as chickpea flour, gram flour and besan is made from grinding dried chickpeas to a fine flour that can be used by itself or blended with other flours. Garbanzo bean flour is an excellent substitute for the gluten-containing flours that are used for baking, such as wheat flour. It can also be used to thicken soups, sauces or gravies.

Garbanzo bean flour is high in protein and low in fat. It is a good source of dietary fiber and iron and is completely grain-free. Garbanzo bean flour contains no cholesterol, sodium or saturated fat. Wheat flour, in contrast, contains 190 mg of sodium, less fiber, no vitamin C and less iron. Garbanzo bean flour is inexpensive, under $3.00 for 22 ounces and recipes required less garbanzo bean flour, 7/8 cup replace one cup of wheat flour. Garbanzo bean flour is easily found in most markets, but you can make your own at home by grinding dried chickpeas in a food processor and coffee/spice blender.

As an experienced clinical nutritionist, I work with people who have a wide variety of health issues. My specialties include the gluten-free diet and weight loss. Over the past 20 years, I have seen significant health improvement in my clients after only one week on the gluten-free diet and continued changes for the better as they embrace a gluten-free lifestyle.

Gluten-free living has changed my life and it can improve yours. The gluten-free diet can help with weight management; it can elevate your energy levels, improve your attention and speed up your digestion. Whatever your motivation is for going gluten free - whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or a desire to live a healthier, stronger life, my book, The Gluten-Free Edge, will help you to achieve your goal. It’s an easy-to-read guide to living without gluten that includes 200 delicious gluten-free recipes. This book will also help you with social situations and teach you the key to reading food labels. You will learn how to look for gluten-free products both at restaurants and in your supermarket. The Gluten-Free Edge is equipped with all of the information you need to get through the world without gluten.

Celiac.com 10/05/2012 - Buckwheat flour significantly improves the nutrition and texture in gluten-free breads, according to a new study published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids. The study examines the role of buckwheat and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in making gluten-free breads.

The researchers point out that the food industry has cleared numerous formulation hurdles associated with removing gluten from dough, and created numerous new gluten-free products. However, they add, many gluten-free breads are still made with pure starches, "resulting in low technological and nutritional quality."

The research team included M. Mariotti, M. Ambrogina Pagani and M. Lucisano. They are affiliated with the Department of Food Science and Technology and Microbiology (DiSTAM) at the University of Milan.

In their study, they found that high levels of buckwheat flour improves both the texture and nutrition of gluten-free breads.

Their findings showed that including up to 40% de-hulled buckwheat flour improved the leavening characteristics and overall quality of gluten-free breads.

Because it is high in dietary fiber, the buckwheat flour increases dough viscosity, along with "the swelling and gelling properties of the buckwheat starch and the emulsion-forming and stabilizing properties of the globulin protein fraction,” the researchers wrote.

The study also found that bread crumbs in gluten-free bread made with buckwheat flour and the food additive HPMC were softer than in gluten-free bread made without buckwheat flour.

For their study, the research team evaluated ten bread formulas, 2 commercial, 8 experimental, with varying levels of buckwheat flours and HPMC. These formulas used both de-hulled and puffed buckwheat flour. The team based all experimental formulas on recipes from the two commercial samples.

The formula that yielded the most favorable gluten-free bread included, 40% de-hulled buckwheat flour, 5% puffed buckwheat flour and 0.5% HPMC.

Source:

• Journal of Food Hydrocolloids doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2012.07.005

Kansas is one of the top sorghum producers in the U.S. In 2006, as the manufacturing of gluten-free products started to take off, sorghum farmers began looking for alternative uses for their crop.

Fadi Aramouni, K-State professor of food science, said that quest triggered the university's research into sorghum as a gluten alternative. In America, sorghum has traditionally been used for animal feed, but the growing market for gluten-free foods, along with the availability of food-grade sorghum, is fueling the use of sorghum in these types of food products, he said.

Aramouni said the research initially focused on developing a sorghum-based tortilla. He and the students looked at the six varieties of sorghum grown in Kansas and determined which one they thought would work best. They considered factors such as grain hardness, protein, carbohydrate and fiber content, shelf life, dough quality, and flavor.

Right away, the research team ran into problems with milling, "because it turns out that the particle size during the milling will affect the properties of the sorghum flour," Armuni said. One problem is that sorghum tends to form a batter rather than a dough, so it is necessary to add eggs and other stabilizers, such as gums, to craft a suitable dough.

Using the facilities at Kansas State's grain and science industry department, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory in Manhattan, the research team has been able to create tortillas, breads, Belgian waffles and waffle cones from sorghum.

Their research is largely funded by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and includes comparing the glycemic index of their sorghum products to those made of wheat, corn and rice. The glycemic index measures how a given carbohydrate raises blood glucose.

In the last few years, the team's sorghum-based creations have won first prize in the American Association of Cereal Chemists competition.

using their new knowledge of sorghum, the researchers are now working to create gluten-free soft pretzels, sweet rolls and dinner rolls, vanilla-flavored Waffle Cones and Crunchums, a raspberry-jalapeno-flavored sorghum snack.

"This is not cooking. This is science," Aramouni said.

It is important science, he adds, because people who must eat gluten-free food need better, more nutritious products. What new gluten-free products would you like to see on the market? Share your comments below.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

A team of researchers recently evaluated quinoa together with millet, sorghum and wheat. The research team included Victor F. Zevallos, H. Julia Ellis, Tanja Šuligoj, L. Irene Herencia, and Paul J. Ciclitira. They are affiliated with the Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Gastroenterology at King's College London, United Kingdom, and the Departamento de Producción Vegetal at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, in Spain.

The study was supported by the Food Standards Agency PG1017 of the Clinical Research Trust, and the European Commission QLK1-CT-2002-02077.

The team wanted to determine the amount of celiac-toxic prolamin epitopes in various quinoa strains from different regions of the Andes, along with the ability of these epitopes to trigger immune responses in patients with celiac disease.

For their test, the team used 15 cultivars of quinoa provided by Irene Herencia in coordination with the germoplasm bank at INIA Peru, millet and sorghum provided by F Janssen of the regional food inspection service in Zuppen, Netherlands, and peptic/tryptic digested wheat gliadin donated by Herbert Wieser German Institute for Food Chemistry in Garching, Germany.

They measured the concentration of celiac-toxic epitopes using murine monoclonal antibodies against gliadin and high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits.

To assess immune response, they conducted proliferation assays of celiac small intestinal T cells/interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and production of IFN-γ/IL-15 after organ culture of celiac duodenal biopsy samples.

Of the fifteen quinoa strains tested, the researchers found that four strains had measurable concentrations of celiac-toxic epitopes, but that these levels were below the maximum permitted for a gluten-free food.

Notably, the Ayacuchana and Pasankalla strains triggered T cells at levels similar to those for gliadin and caused secretion of cytokines from cultured biopsy samples at levels comparable with those for gliadin.

The end result was that most quinoa strains are safe for celiacs, and do not possess measurable amounts of celiac-toxic epitopes. However, 2 strains do contain celiac-toxic proteins that might trigger adverse immune responses in some patients with celiac disease.

Because so many people with celiac disease turn to quinoa as an important source of nutrients, more study is needed to determine if all strains are safe, or if certain strains need to be avoided.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 07/25/2012 - While a great deal of progress has been made with gluten-free food over the last ten years, many celiacs still feel that they are 'missing out' on gluten-containing foods. Fadi Aramouni, professor of food science at Kansas State University is working to change this through extensive research and testing on sorghum, as well as other wheat alternatives.

Sorghum is an appealing alternative to wheat because it is already widely produced in the United States (it is primarily used as feed). The problem is that sorghum is different from wheat, and requires different processing methods to yield food products that are comparable to their wheat counterparts.

Aramouni and his team of students and researchers began their search for a non-gluten wheat substitute by carefully inspecting the six varieties of sorghum that are grown in Kansas. Qualities such as grain hardness, dough quality, stretching and rolling qualities, protein, carbohydrates and fiber content as well as taste and look of the finished product were all considered.

According to Aramouni, this stage of their research yielded an important discovery: the milling stage dramatically alters the properties of sorghum flour. Different particle sizes yield different results, so the consistency and taste of sorghum-based foods can be modulated before they are even prepared or cooked.

In addition to the taste and consistency, Aramouni's team also found that particle size alters sorghum's glycemic index, so it is possible that a very specific milling practice could make products healthier, perhaps even compared to other gluten-free wheat alternatives like corn and rice.

Along with the grain science and industry department at Kansas State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory in Manhattan, Kansas, Aramouni and his team have developed a variety of sorghum-based tortillas, waffle ice cream cones, breads and Belgian waffles. Time and many taste tests will tell whether Aramouni's research will pay off in the form of more appetizing gluten-free products, but at the very least he and his team are helping us understand that is not just about what grains you use, but how they are processed.

Source:

• http://www.newswise.com/articles/research-with-gluten-alternatives-shows-promise-for-kansas-sorghum-farmers-and-consumers

Celiac.com 12/03/2010 - An interesting finding regarding corn from a research team based in Sweden that studied the effects of both gluten and corn on patients with celiac disease.

The research team included G. Kristjánsson, M. Högman, P. Venge, R. and Hällgren, who are affiliated variously with the Department of Gastroenterology, the Department of Medical Cell Biology, Section of Integrative Physiology, the Laboratory for Inflammation Research, and the Department of Rheumatology at Uppsala University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden.

Specifically, the team sought to better understand the facets of nitric oxide (NO) production induced by rectal gluten challenge and the relationship between nitric oxide production and mucosal granulocyte activation.

The team measured the release of rectal nitric oxide in 13 patients with celiac disease and in 18 control subjects. The team measured levels both before and after rectal wheat gluten challenge.

To collect the gas, the team used a rectal balloon and a newly developed instrument, which allows simultaneous measurements of concentrations of granulocyte mediators in the rectal mucosa. This new technique is called the “mucosal patch technique”.

The technique allowed the team to measure myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and histamine.

They found that concentrations of rectal nitric oxide increased in ALL celiac patients after wheat gluten challenge, peaking at 15 hours (average concentrations of 9464 (SEM 2393) parts per billion (ppb), with a range of 250–24982 ppb.

The maximum MPO and ECP increase occurred five hours after challenge. At the fifteen hour mark, the team observed a correlation between mucosal MPO and nitric oxide production.

They then compared their results against measurements taken after corn gluten challenge. Six of the celiac patients showed an increase in nitric oxide production 15 hours after rectal corn gluten challenge, though much smaller than after gluten challenge. The control group showed no increases after either challenge.

The main findings showed that mucosal activation of neutrophils and eosinophils precedes pronounced enhancement of mucosal nitric oxide production after rectal wheat gluten challenge in patients with celiac disease.

The researchers also found that some patients with celiac disease show signs of an inflammatory reaction after rectal corn gluten challenge, shown by increased nitric oxide production and activation of granulocyte markers.

The fact that nearly half of the celiac patients in this small sample showed increases in nitric oxide production after a corn challenge is definitely interesting, and calls out for further study.

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

"The manufacturer claimed that their corn product was free from wheat or other cereals. We tested the product at the Swedish National Food Administration (Livsmedelsverket) and it was found to be contaminated with 82 μg/g (ppm), which is less than the usual allowed amount in a gluten free diet (<200 ppm) according to the Codex Alimentarius Standard for gluten free foods, and far less than what has been found to be a safe amount of gluten contamination when correlated with histology in oral challenge studies. It cannot be excluded that the small amounts of gluten present in the corn preparation induced an inflammatory reaction as the mucosal patch technique is very sensitive. "