Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder stimulated by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found naturally in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten comprises two main subunits- glutenin and gliadin, the latter of which is implicated in celiac disease. Despite its prevalence, affecting approximately 1% of the Western world, the only approved treatment for celiac disease is complete adherence to a gluten-free diet. Pharmaceutical strategies for combating celiac disease tend to fall into two categories- patient-focused and antigen-focused. Patient-focused therapies include vaccinations, anti-inflammatories and small molecules which disrupt the celiac-associated immune response. Antigen-focused therapies include enzymes, antibodies and sequestrants, which prevent recognition of gluten by the body via degradation or a phenomenon known as “epitope masking”.

Polyphenols, a class of secondary metabolites ubiquitous to plants, have been shown to interact with gliadin to prevent celiac-associated inflammation and intestinal damage. Polyphenols from green tea have been shown to mitigate gliadin-mediated inflammation and intestinal permeability in vitro, with protective effects attributed to the formation of gliadin-polyphenols complexes and the direct inhibition of digestive enzymes, which liberate immunostimulatory gluten fragments throughout digestion. 

Epigallocategin gallate (EGCG), the prevalent catechin found in green tea, forms stable complexes with immunostimulatory gliadins in vitro, thereby modifying the structure of gliadin proteins. This structural modification may play a role in functional alterations such as decreased recognition of the protein, as the polyproline II-helical formation of gliadin lends allows for recognition and binding by two critical receptors in celiac disease transmission, including transglutaminase 2 and antigen presenting cells with HLA-DQ2.

The Food Structure and Function Lab is at the forefront of this field, with aims to elucidate further protective mechanisms for polyphenols against celiac disease and the development of a functional application for this nutraceutical therapy.

Food processing provides the opportunity to manipulate physical and chemical properties of food products. We aim to utilize processing to enhance quality, which we use as a holistic term for the nutritional, physical and chemical aspects of a food product. Our research seeks to utilize natural phenomena such as protein-polyphenol interactions and microbial/fungal fermentation in the development of safe, high-quality food products.

These objectives require an interdisciplinary approach, including physicochemical characterization protein structure and protein-polyphenol complex formation, stability and degradation of nutrient complexes, as well as assessment of their ability to deliver nutrients to the body via cellular uptake mechanisms.

We are particularly interested in plant-based foods and methods to increase sustainability from each end of the food supply, i.e., through increasing sustainable production and decreasing food waste.

Recently, we have focused on interactions between polyphenols and dietary proteins from plant sources vs. animal protein with interest in characterizing the effect of these differences on phytochemical metabolism. We are also interested in examining the influence of complex food microbiomes on protein degradation as it relates to bread quality and health.

Some of our past and present topics of collaboration include…

• Bioavailability and efficacy of select phytochemicals in vitro

• Modification of the gastrointestinal redox environment by dietary supplements

• Protein quantitation in biological sources

• The effect of packaging on beer aroma and stability
  

We are open to collaboration! The Food Structure & Function Lab is equipped with the following:

• BioTek Synergy H1 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer/Fluorimeter/Luminometer

• Jasco J-1100 Circular Dichroism Spectropolarimeter

• Jasco V-730 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

• Cell Culture Facilities (specializing in intestinal epithelial cells)

• MilliCell-ERS2 Epithelial Volt/Ohm Meter

• SDS-PAGE and Western Blot apparatus

Please contact us with any inquiries regarding collaboration.