Inhibitory activities against heterologous α-amylases and in vitro allergenic reactivity of Einkorn wheats.

Salt extracts from seeds of 36 lines of Einkorn wheats were analyzed for their inhibitory activity towards two insect (Tenebrio molitor, Coleoptera, and Ephestia kuehniella, Lepidoptera) and one mammalian (human salivary) α-amylases. Whereas all ten T. monococcum accessions tested were active towards the lepidopteran enzyme, they had no effect on the coleopteran or the mammalian ones. More variability was found among the 21 lines of T. boeticum analyzed, although none of them inhibited human α-amylase. The five accessions of T. urartu showed even greater diversity. Among all Einkorn accessions tested, only two urartu lines affected the three α-amylases. These lines displayed inhibition patterns similar to those of T. aestivum and T. turgidum cultivars. Since several breadwheat α-amylase inhibitors are major allergens associated with baker's asthma, we also studied the in vitro allergenic activity of salt extracts from the Einkorn wheats under study. No significant differences in IgE-binding were found between these accessions and theT. aestivum or T. turgidum cultivars. Furthermore, putative allergens with molecular sizes in the range of 20-60 kDa were detected in these Einkorn wheats.