The study highlights the action of sourdough both in hydrolyzing (breaking) the proteins rich in proline (gliadin) involved in activating the human immune system both in the hydrolyser gluten (favoring digestibility) and ,above all, the high glutenins molecular weight.
Sourdough and its potential for degradation of gluten
Sourdough is produced using a culture of lactobacillus, frequently in combination with yeast. Sourdough is the oldest method for leavening bread and is still used for some applications. For example, in making bread from rye, perhaps because the dough made from rye flour needs a low pH to be appropriate for baking (Arendt et al., 2007). In comparison with yeast-treated doughs for wheat- or rye-based breads, sourdough produces a distinctively tangy or sour taste, mainly as a result of lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli. Moreover, during sourdough fermentation, proteolysis provides compounds that are precursors for the aroma volatiles and amino acids which are converted by microbes to compounds which are precursors of flavours (Gänzle et al., 2008). Traditionally sourdough is added as an ingredient to unmodified flour of wheat or rye for breadmaking. However, some authors (Rizzello et al., 2007) have proposed sourdough as the major ingredient and the only source of proteins for making gluten-free bread.