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Celiac.com 08/04/2020 - People with celiac disease need to avoid wheat. That includes ancient Einkorn wheat, even though some folks claim it's easier to digest and less toxic than Durum and other wheat strains. Recent studies suggested that gliadin proteins from the ancient diploid einkorn wheat Triticum monococcum retained a reduced number of immunogenic peptides for celiac disease patients, and is less toxic than other more recent strains of wheat. Some experiments have shown Einkorn to be more easily digested than hexaploid common wheat. But is it really, and how does it compare in terms of toxicity to people with celiac disease? For people with celiac disease, is there a difference in digestibility and toxicity between Durum and Einkorn Wheat? Researchers say there is. A team of researchers recently set out to compare the immunological properties of gliadins from two Triticum monococcum cultivars (Hammurabi and Norberto-ID331) with those of a Triticum durum cultivar (Adamello). The research team included Luigia Di Stasio, Stefania Picascia, Renata Auricchio, Serena Vitale, Laura Gazza, Gianluca Picariello, Carmen Gianfrani, and Gianfranco Mamone. They are variously affiliated with the Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council, Avellino, Italy; and Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Naples, Italy; the Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Paediatrics, European Laboratory for the Investigation of Food-Induced Diseases, University "Federico II", Naples, Italy; the CREA-Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Rome, Italy. Their team compared the immunological properties of gliadins from two Einkorn strains of Triticum monococcum (Hammurabi and Norberto-ID331) with a Triticum durum strain, called Adamello. To do so, the team digested the gliadins by duplicating in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, including the brush border membrane peptidases. Competitive ELISA, based on R5 monoclonal antibody, showed that gastrointestinal digestion reduced the immunogenicity of Triticum monococcum gliadins, but had little effect on the toxic potential of Triticum durum gliadins. The team also assessed the immune stimulatory activity by detecting the IFN-γ production in gliadin-reactive T-cell lines taken from the small intestinal mucosa of HLA-DQ2+ celiac disease patients. Notably, gastrointestinal digestion sharply reduced the ability of Einkorn gliadins of both strains to activate T cells, while barely affecting the ability of Triticum durum. The team's results clearly show that digestion barely affects Triticum durum at all, while the Einkorn strains break down substantially, resulting in lower toxicity for celiac disease patients. This study does not mean that Einkorn is safe for people with celiac disease to eat, but it does present some interesting possibilities for further study. It would be interesting, for example, to see if Einkorn could be further digested with sourdough cultures, or even enzymes, to render a bread that could be safe for people with celiac disease. The possibilities are intriguing. Stay tuned for more on this and related stories. Read more at: Front Nutr. 2020 May 22;7:56.

Celiac.com 06/12/2019 - A team of researchers recently sat out to assess a new technology for reducing wheat flour toxicity for celiac disease patients using the in situ formation of gluten-chitosan interlocked self-assembled supramolecular architecture. The research team included Miguel Ribeiro, Stefania Picascia, Larbi Rhazi, Carmen Gianfrani, Jose Maria Carrillo, Marta Rodriguez-Quijano, Gérard Branlard, and Fernando M. Nunesa. The team found that an interlocked supramolecular architecture forms between gluten and chitosan, which makes for the formation of favorable dough. Rheological properties of dough depend on the protein to chitosan ratio. Dough with a 1.9:1 protein to chitosan ratio showed the best rheological properties. To better understand the architecture of this new molecular structure, and its effects on dough qualities, the research team assessed the small and large deformation rheological properties, along with the macromolecular aspects of gluten-chitosan polymers. A drop in gluten proteins levels, followed by spontaneous oxidation in the presence of the chitosan template, ranging from 7.5:1 to 1.3:1 protein to chitosan, changed the structure of the wheat flour proteins in the polymeric fraction from homogeneous spherical molecules to polymer molecules with random-coil conformation. The polymeric fraction increased with decreasing protein to chitosan weight ratio, and yielded the best results at 1.9 parts protein to 1 part chitosan. At this ratio, the dough kept its ability to form a network when wet and being kneaded. It also showed a higher elasticity and viscousity compared to the control flour and the other study flours. Lastly, it presented a significantly higher resistance to extension, didn't inhibit the fermentation process, and retained the original dough ball shape. The fact that it's possible to create wheat flour with reduced toxicity that also behaves like bread made with standard wheat flour is a major step forward. According to reports, the bread looks, tastes and feels like traditional bread. There's a way to go, but this early success bodes well for later improvement. If such products can be formulated under 20 ppm gluten, the result could mean high quality gluten-free or gluten-safe breads. That would be a huge development for people with celiac disease. Clearly, many bridges must be crossed to get there, but this will be welcome and interesting news for many people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Read more in Food Hydrocolloids Volume 90, May 2019, Pages 266-275 The researchers are variously affiliated with CQ-VR, Chemistry Research Centre, Food and Wine Chemistry Lab, Chemistry Department, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal; Institute of Protein Biochemistry-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy; UniLaSalle, Unité de recherche "Transformations & Agro-Ressources", 19 rue Pierre Waguet – BP 30313 - F- 60026, Beauvais Cedex, France; the Unit of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology - Plant Biology, UPM, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain; and the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique GDEC/UBP, UMR 1095, 63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France.