Enzymes of a common bacteria in the oral cavity may prevent people with celiac disease look doomed to follow a gluten-free diet.
Gluten is a protein found in cereals, especially in wheat, barley and rye, which gives elasticity to dough of flour and is responsible for the elastic and spongy consistency of bread and baked masses. A protein, however, who can not eat people with celiac disease, or celiaquía-, character autoimmune disorder caused by a permanent intolerance to gluten and its prevalence has grown significantly in recent years. In fact, it is estimated that already today more than 450 thousand people in our country or what is the same, about one percent of the total of the population suffers from celiac disease and therefore must follow a diet without gluten. And in this context, researchers at the School of Dentistry Henry M. Goldman of Boston University (EU) have identified a new group of enzymes that are present in a very common organism in our saliva, bacteria -the ‘Rothia mucilaginosa’-, they have the ability to degrade a gluten as effective as safely.
As Guoxian Wei, director of the research published in the American Journal of Physiology explains. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, “In our work we have isolated a new class of degradative enzymes gluten bacteria of the genus ‘Rothia’ natural colonizing the oral cavity. These enzymes have been identified as a type of proteases called ‘subtilisin’, which digest proteins and represent a class of enzymes with great potential, so far ignored, for the enzymatic treatment in celiac disease “.
Breaking the gluten
Peptides that comprise the gluten cause an excessive immune response of patients with celiac disease. So much so that in recent years have developed extensive research to identify enzymes that have the ability to ‘break’ gluten and its components before they reach the small intestine. And according to the new study, did not have to look far.
As regards Guoxian Wei, “the goal was to isolate and identify enzymes and evaluate its potential as a therapy for celiac disease. And what we found is that the enzyme activities with exceptionally high capacity to degrade gluten are naturally associated with bacteria that colonize the oral cavity. ”
And exactly what do these enzymes? Well quite simply, degrade gluten, so that excessive response of the immune system of patients not trigger. However, considering that come from a bacterium, it can ensure that their use is safe? Yes, as belonging to the same type of enzymes found in Bacillus subtilis bacteria used in food production.
As the authors point out, ” ‘B. subtilis’ is a safe food has been consumed and for decades, for example in a Japanese fermented soybean dish called natto. And although consumption ‘B. subtilis’ and its products and has a long history, have been reported
very few cases of adverse effects. Therefore, the food quality of ‘B. subtilis’ opens the door to potential therapeutic applications of subtilisins. “
