Effect of thermal processing and fermentation with Chinese traditional starters on characteristics and allergenicity of wheat matrix

Wheat allergy has become a serious health threat worldwide and its prevalence has increased alarmingly in the past few years. Factors such as food matrix and food processing may alter the structure of wheat proteins, and hence affect its allergenic properties. However, few reports have focused on the influence of Chinese traditional starter fermentation on wheat allergy. In this study, 5 starters from different regions of China were used for fermentation, and protein characteristics were monitored by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electropheresis, and immunoreactivity analyzed by immunoassay with allergenic serum was obtained from New Zealand white rabbits. The allergenicity of steamed and baked matrices was also evaluated. The results showed that the allergenicity of wheat dough was basically increased at the beginning and then decreased during fermentation, but specific trends depend on different starters. With the progress of fermentation, especially as pH value decreased to 3.0–4.0, the allergenicity decreased significantly. Baking and steaming can reduce the allergenicity of wheat matrix, but fermentation is not a key factor affecting the allergenic activity of proteins. Our results can provide a theoretical basis for controlling wheat allergenicity in food processing or producing hypoallergenic food.