INHIBITORY ACTIVITIES AGAINST HETEROLOGOUS ALPHA-AMYLASES AND IN-VITRO ALLERGENIC REACTIVITY OF EINKORN WHEATS

Salt extracts from seeds of 36 lines of Einkorn wheats were analysed f or their inhibitory activity towards two insect (Tenebrio molitor, Col eoptera, and Ephestia kuehniella, Lepidoptera) and one mammalian (huma n salivary) alpha-amylases. Whereas all ten T. monococcurn 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 analysed, although none of them inhi bited human alpha-amylase. The five accessions of T. urartu showed eve n greater diversity. Among all Einkorn accessions tested, only two ura rtu lines affected the three alpha-amylases. These lines displayed inh ibition patterns similar to those of T. aestivum and T. turgidum culti vars. Since several bread-wheat m-amylase inhibitors are major allerge ns associated with baker's asthma, we also studied the in vitro allerg enic activity of salt extracts from the Einkorn wheats under study. No significant differences in IgE-binding were found between these acces sions and the T. aestivum or T. turgidum cultivars. Furthermore, putat ive allergens with molecular sizes in the range of 20-60 kDa were dete cted in these Einkorn wheats.