Altınbaş University and Germany Potsdam University are researching 'Allergenic Proteins in Bread'.

Head of the Altınbaş University Gastronomy Department Prof. Dr. Haydar Özpınar, detected the types and quantities of Amylase Trypsin Inhibitor, an allergen protein in wheat varieties, for the first time in Turkey with his research on 'Detection of Allergen proteins in Common wheat Types'. Özpınar emphasized that the allergenic proteins in bread wheat flours consumed by Turkish and German peoples were examined for the first time with the project jointly carried out with the German Potsdam University Institute of Nutrition Sciences and supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Stating that the amount of an allergen protein known as Amylase Trypsin Inhibitor (ATI), which can cause digestive disorders in some bread wheat, was found in high amounts in studies, Prof. Dr. Özpınar said that determining wheat seeds with high allergen protein content is of great importance for human health.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TURKEY Giving information about their joint work with Germany, Özpınar said that after the conference on 'Bread and Its Importance' organized in 2019, he started to believe that bread wheat should be examined in terms of allergen proteins. This is the reason why he carried out such a study. "Tools developed for the detection of human health are used to detect other proteins that cause cancer or negatively affect health, but unfortunately this advanced technology has never been used in our country on foods," said Prof. Dr. Haydar Özpınar. “Celiac disease caused by gluten in wheat and its symptoms are known. However, there is not enough information about allergen proteins called Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors (ATI), which are also found in wheat. With my team, I made a research on Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors and their amounts in bread wheat flour collected from different regions in Turkey for the first time."

ALLERGEN RATE IS VERY HIGH IN SOME FLOURS Speaking about what Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors are and how they are formed, Özpınar said: “Amylase; breaks down carbohydrates, especially starch and oligosaccharides, which are important in our diet, and ensures their digestion. Pepsin, on the other hand, breaks down the proteins in foods and helps the formation of amino acids, that is, the digestion of proteins. If these two beneficial enzymes are inhibited (inactivated), these nutrients cannot be digested and cause an increase in pathogenic microorganisms in our gut. This can lead to various digestive disorders. In the investigations within the scope of our research, we found that the rates of these inhibitory proteins were very low in some bread wheat flours, they were found to be very high in some others."

SUPPORTED BY MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY Stating that the work is going on within the scope of the project, Özpınar emphasized that the aim of the research is to detect allergen substances that are harmful to human health and to ensure that they are not used in bread production to the extent possible. He said that in the project, they were acting together with TAGEM under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as well as Istanbul Public Bread, and that they received support from both institutions in collecting products. Prof. Dr. Haydar Özpınar added that the next stages of the study will be carried out at Altınbaş University DÜAGEM R&D Center.