Extensive in vitro gastrointestinal digestion markedly reduces the immune-toxicity of Triticum monococcum wheat: Implication for celiac disease

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research 2015-09, Vol.59 (9), p.1844-1854
• Main Authors: Gianfrani, Carmen, Camarca, Alessandra, Mazzarella, Giuseppe, Di Stasio, Luigia, Giardullo, Nicola, Ferranti, Pasquale, Picariello, Gianluca, Rotondi Aufiero, Vera, Picascia, Stefania, Troncone, Riccardo, Pogna, Norberto, Auricchio, Salvatore, Mamone, Gianfranco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brush border membrane; Celiac disease; Celiac Disease - immunology; Cell Line; Chromatography, Liquid; Gastrointestinal digestion; Gastrointestinal Tract - metabolism; Gliadin; Gliadin - adverse effects; Gliadin - immunology; Gliadin - metabolism; Humans; Peptides - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Triticum - chemistry; Triticum - classification; Triticum aestivum; Triticum monococcum
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201500126

Scope The ancient diploid Triticum monococcum is of special interest as a candidate low‐toxic wheat species for celiac disease patients. Here, we investigated how an in vitro gastro‐intestinal digestion, affected the immune toxic properties of gliadin from diploid compared to hexaploid wheat. Methods and results Gliadins from Triticum monococcum, and Triticum aestivum cultivars were digested using either a partial proteolysis with pepsin‐chymotrypsin, or an extensive degradation that used gastrointestinal enzymes including the brush border membrane enzymes. The immune stimulatory properties of the digested samples were investigated on T‐cell lines and jejunal biopsies from celiac disease patients. The T‐cell response profile to the Triticum monococcum gliadin was comparable to that obtained with Triticum aestivum gliadin after the partial pepsin‐chymotrypsin digestion. In contrast, the extensive gastrointestinal hydrolysis drastically reduced the immune stimulatory properties of Triticum monococcum gliadin. MS‐based analysis showed that several Triticum monococcum peptides, including known T‐cell epitopes, were degraded during the gastrointestinal treatment, whereas many of Triticum aestivum gliadin survived the gastrointestinal digestion. Conclusion The pattern of Triticum monococcum gliadin proteins is sufficiently different from those of common hexaploid wheat to determine a lower toxicity in celiac disease patients following in vitro simulation of human digestion.