In Vivo Human Intervention Approach to Test the Effects of "Gluten Friendly Bread" in Coeliac Disease Patients: GLUTEN FRIENDLY STUDY

In the last two decades, a series of epidemiological studies have shown a particular increase in Coeliac Disease (CD), a life-long intolerance to gluten proteins (the seed storage proteins) present in most cereals (wheat, barley and rye) both in the United States and Europe, and in developing countries. In these subjects, the consumption of cereals containing gluten causes a chronic inflammatory process leading to lesions in the small intestine and a dysfunction in nutrient absorption.The only current treatment for CD is a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. In most cases (some people do not respond) this dietary regimen guarantees the full recovery of small intestine architecture and functions, though for many patients the gluten-free diet is highly restrictive, especially for social events and during travelling. In addition, this dietary therapy has often low content of vitamins and ions, such as vitamins B and calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium, as well as fibre. Furthermore, one of the major risks is to develop obesity and diseases related to metabolic syndrome.

Recently a new and innovative detoxification method has been developed with the purpose to overcome the disadvantages of the prior methods. The method is based on the application of microwave energy for few seconds to hydrated wheat kernels; the treatment induces modifications to endosperm components which dramatically reduce the immunogenicity of the most common epitopes involved in coeliac disease, without compromising the technological properties necessary to process flour into bread, pasta and other baked goods.

The method is based on the analysis of recent studies that have reported, when high temperatures are applied to the caryopsis of wheat, the protein polymers present in the pasta produced with these "baked grain" present a size distribution pattern that is not observed in pasta during the drying cycles. The researchers Lamacchia and others explained this phenomenon on the basis of the fact that in the caryopsis of wheat, gluten is not yet formed and gluten proteins are deposited in different protein bodies.