title: PCR method for detecting trace amounts of buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) in food.
abstract: Buckwheat often causes severe allergic reactions, even when its ingestion level is extremely low. Therefore, buckwheat is listed in several countries as a common food allergen. In addition to common buckwheat and Tartarian buckwheat that are cultivated and consumed widely, wild buckwheat may be potentially allergenic. Food containing undeclared buckwheat poses a risk to patients with the buckwheat allergy. We describe in this report a PCR method to detect buckwheat DNA by using primers corresponding to the internal transcribed spacer region and the 5.8S rRNA gene. The method is buckwheat-specific and compatible with both cultivated and wild buckwheat of the Fagopyrum spp. Its sensitivity was sufficient to detect 1 ppm (w/w) of buckwheat DNA spiked in wheat DNA. This method should benefit food manufacturers, clinical doctors, and allergic patients by providing information on the presence of buckwheat contamination in food.
authors.affiliation: Somatech Center, House Foods Corporation, chiba 284-0033, Japan. t-hirao@housefoods.co.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirao
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiomi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hachimura
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D019612:Fagopyrum / Q000235:genetics*; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018744:DNA, Plant