Detecção de glúten em alimentos por meio de ELISA

Celiac disease is characterized by intolerance or hypersensitivity to ingested prolamins, which are composites of wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten proteins of wheat are constituted of approximately 50% of prolamins named gliadins. The treatment for celiac disease is a gluten - free diet. The Brazilian legislation determines that the industrialized food products must bring warning about the presence or absence of gluten in the respective labels. Two reference samples from interlaboratory study, and thirteen food products were analyzed for determining the gluten by means of commercially available immunoenzyme assay - ELISA sandwich format using monoclonal antibody anti-ω gliadin. The detection limit was of 10 ppm (mg/kg). Reference samples showed satisfactory results and good accuracy. Gluten was detected in analyzed food products in those the cited component was indicated in the respective labels. No gluten amount was detected in samples with indication of gluten absence, except in a sample. The used immunoenzyme assay discriminated non-toxic prolamins for patients with celiac disease, as in rice flour, corn, soy, manioc, potato, and sweet potato proteins, whose ingredients were indicated in the respective labels. The presented results evidence the performance and the practicability of ELISA for determining low levels of gluten in foods.