In the last few years, an increasing number of individuals have adopted a gluten free diet (GFD). A significant proportion of that includes patients affected by celiac disease (CD), who have to ...follow a strict GFD for medical purposes. However, a high number of individuals are currently following a GFD without medical counseling and without a specific diagnosis needing a gluten withdrawal from the diet. This is due to the frequently incorrect information diffused on the Internet and mass media on the topic of GFD. For these reasons, research on the GFD and its clinical use and biological effects is urgently needed.
Coeliac Disease (CD) affects at least 1% of the population. “Classical” CD refers to gastrointestinal presentations with anaemia and gastrointestinal symptoms. CD can, however, present with ...extraintestinal manifestations, the commonest of which are dermatitis herpetiformis and neurological presentations (e.g., ataxia, neuropathy, encephalopathy). Recognition and research into the pathophysiology of such manifestations is likely to enhance our understanding of this complex autoimmune disorder.
The effect and mechanism of soybean insoluble dietary fiber (SIDF) (0~4%) and CaClsub.2 (0~0.005 M) on the properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI)–wheat gluten (WG) composite gel were studied. It ...was revealed that the addition of insoluble dietary fiber (1~2%) increased the strength and water-holding capacity (WHC) of the composite gel (p < 0.05) and enhanced the gel network structure compared with the control. WHC and LF-NMR showed that the water-binding ability of the gel system with only 2% SIDF was the strongest. The addition of excessive SIDF increased the distance between protein molecules, impeded the cross-linking of protein, and formed a three-dimensional network with low gel strength. The infrared spectrum and intermolecular force indicated that the interaction between SIDF and SPI were mainly physical, and the hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond were the main forces in the gel system. The addition of CaClsub.2 can increase the critical content of gel texture destruction caused by SIDF, and the gel strength attained its peak at 3% SIDF, indicating that appropriate CaClsub.2 improved gel structure weakening caused by excessive SIDF. This study provides insights in enhancing the production of multi-component composite gel systems.
Coeliac disease is a well‐defined condition that is estimated to affect approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Noncoeliac gluten sensitivity is a condition that is less well defined, but is ...estimated to affect up to 10% of the population, and is often self‐diagnosed. At present, the only remedy for both conditions is a lifelong gluten‐free diet. A gluten‐free diet is often expensive, high in fat and low in fibre, which in themselves can lead to adverse health outcomes. Thus, there is an opportunity to use novel plant breeding strategies to develop alternative gluten‐free grains. In this work, we describe the breeding and characterization of a novel ultra‐low gluten (ULG) barley variety in which the hordein (gluten) content was reduced to below 5 ppm. This was achieved using traditional breeding strategies to combine three recessive alleles, which act independently of each other to lower the hordein content in the parental varieties. The grain of the initial variety was shrunken compared to wild‐type barleys. We implemented a breeding strategy to improve the grain size to near wild‐type levels and demonstrated that the grains can be malted and brewed successfully. The ULG barley has the potential to provide novel healthy foods and beverages for those who require a gluten‐free diet.