Characterization of α/β- and γ-Gliadins in Commercial Varieties and Breeding Lines of Durum Wheat Using MALDI-TOF and A-PAGE Gels

Chromatographic and mass spectrometry analysis of wheat flour prolamins, the causative compounds of celiac disease

Immunogenic gluten peptides trigger Celiac Disease (CD), an adaptive immune response in genetically predisposed individuals.

Analysis of wheat prolamins, the causative agents of celiac sprue, using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS)

Wheat prolamins, commonly known as "gluten", are a complex mixture of 71-78 proteins, which constitute ~80% of the proteins in the wheat grains and supply 50% of the global dietary protein demand. Prolamins are also responsible for numerous gluten-induced disorders and determine the unique visco-elastic properties of the wheat dough. These properties necessitate the reliable determination of the prolamin composition in wheat grains and their derived products. Therefore, this study examined the impact of HPLC conditions, including column type, column temperature, flow rate, and the gradient of polar and non-polar solvents in the mobile phase, to improve the analytical resolution of prolamins. The following conditions were found optimal for analyses: column temperature 60 °C, flow rate 1.0 mL/min and an elution gradient of 20%-60% of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid + acetonitrile in 60 min. For further improvement of resolution, gliadin and glutenin extracts were analyzed using MALDI-TOF-MS in combination with HPLC fractionation. Two semi-quantitative methods, densitometry of stained polyacrylamide gels and HPLC, were used to determine relative prolamin quantities and the correspondence between the methods was established. The combinatorial gluten analyses approach developed during the present study was used to analyze prolamin profiles of wheat transformants expressing DEMETER silencing artificial microRNA, and the results are discussed.

Significant differences in coeliac immunotoxicity of barley varieties

SCOPE

The only treatment available for coeliac disease (CD) is a strict diet in which the intake of wheat, barley, rye, or oats is avoided. Barley is a major cereal crop, grown mainly for its use in brewing, and it has high nutritional value. The identification of varieties with a reduced toxicity profile may contribute to improve the diet, the quality of life and health of CD patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Searching for harmless barleys, we investigated accessions of malting and wild barley, used for developing new cultivated cereals. The CD toxicity profile of barleys was screened using G12 antibody and cell proliferation and IFN-γ release from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and intestinal biopsies from CD patients. We found a direct correlation between the reactivity with G12 and the immunogenicity of the different barleys.

CONCLUSION

The malting barleys were less immunogenic, with reduced levels of toxic gluten, and were possibly less harmful to CD patients. Our findings could raise the prospect of breeding barley species with low levels of harmful gluten, and the attractive goal of developing nontoxic barley cultivars, always taking into account the Codex standard for foods for special dietary use for persons intolerant to gluten.