Profile analysis and immunoglobulin E reactivity of wheat protein hydrolysates.
BACKGROUND
Wheat protein hydrolysates have been traditionally used as food additives and are now being used in cooking worldwide. There have been a few studies on the relationship between the molecular mass distribution and the immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity of the wheat protein hydrolysates.


METHODS
We analyzed the peptide profile of commercial wheat protein hydrolysate samples from enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of wheat protein using size exclusion chromatography. We further investigated the IgE reactivity of the wheat protein hydrolysates using the inhibition ELISA method and sera of 5 patients sensitive to wheat.


RESULTS
The wheat protein enzymatic hydrolysate samples showed high concentrations of peptides with molecular masses greater than 1,050 Da, whereas in contrast, the wheat protein acid hydrolysates showed extremely low concentrations of peptides with molecular masses greater than 1,050 Da. Tested wheat protein acid hydrolysates hardly inhibited the patient IgE binding ability to wheat proteins in the five patient sera. On the contrary, some tested wheat protein enzymatic hydrolysate samples inhibited the IgE binding ability to wheat proteins.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that the uptake of wheat protein enzymatic hydrolysates might still have the possibility of causing food allergic reactions in patients allergic to wheat and the processed foods containing them.
Division of Foods, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kamiyoga, Tokyo, Japan. akiyama@nihs.go.jp
Hiroshi
H
Akiyama
Kozue
K
Sakata
Yasuo
Y
Yoshioka
Yoshifumi
Y
Murata
Yoshihiro
Y
Ishihara
Reiko
R
Teshima
Jun-ichi
J
Sawada
Tamio
T
Maitani
D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014908:Triticum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D007073:Immunoglobulin E