title: Biochemical and immunochemical characterization of different varieties of amaranth (Amaranthus L. ssp.) as a safe ingredient for gluten-free products.
abstract: Celiac disease is a food intolerance triggered by the ingestion of gluten-containing cereals; the only therapy is a strict gluten-free diet for life. In recent years, amaranth flour has received considerable attention as an interesting source for the formulation of gluten-free products due to its high nutritional value and low content of prolamins, the toxic proteins for celiacs. The aim of this study was to characterize 40 amaranth varieties using both SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting and ELISA to assess their possible tolerance by celiac subjects. All of the amaranth samples studied showed similar binding affinities for both specific anti-gliadin antibodies and human IgAs. In most amaranth grains, the content of gluten-like proteins measured by ELISA was <20 ppm. The molecular characterization of amaranth proteins suggests that amaranth is safe for celiacs to consume. It is recommended that the most suitable amaranth varieties are those having the lowest content of proteins cross-reacting with anti-gliadin antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Universita degli Studi di Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballabio
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uberti
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandolini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Penas
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Restani
mesh_terms: D027721:Amaranthus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005903:Gliadin / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005903:Gliadin