Potential allergens in durum wheat semolina and pasta: fate during cooking and digestion

The aim of this study was to identify the potential allergens of durum wheat semolina and pasta and to determine their fate during pasta cooking and proteolytic digestion. By using sera of patients with food allergy to wheat, the potential allergens of durum wheat semolina have been detected by IgE-immunoblotting and compared to those detectable in a pasta sample. IgE binding to some semolina bands disappeared in raw pasta, whereas binding to other semolina allergens remained unaffected. Cooking pasta did not change the IgE binding pattern. However, in contrast to what was previously observed for bread, in vitro digestion of cooked pasta resulted in the disappearance of its potential allergens, indicating that they may be completely degraded before reaching the intestine. Therefore, although durum wheat seem to contain potential allergens similar to those of bread wheat, patients with food allergy to wheat may tolerate pasta better than bread.