Combination Conjugate for Total Gluten Quantification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for quantifying total gluten in food samples are inadequate as they often lead to miscalculations due to the separate detection of only prolamine or glutelin fractions, resulting in falsified results, especially in wheat, rye, and barley, as they do not account for the varying composition of gluten proteins and processing effects.
Innovation Solution
A method that combines specific prolamin and glutelin antibodies in a single analytical run to quantify all gluten protein fractions by their mass, using a combination conjugate in an ELISA format, allowing for the detection of total gluten content in wheat, rye, and barley samples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If separate detection of prolamine or glutelin fractions is used, then the detection method is simple, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to miscalculation of total gluten content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate prolamine and glutelin detection methods into a single simultaneous detection system using a mixture of specific antibodies. This merging approach allows both gluten fractions to be detected in one analytical run, eliminating the need for separate measurements and subsequent calculations, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining method simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a universal detection system that can quantify both prolamine and glutelin fractions using a single ELISA assay with a combination of antibodies. This multi-functional approach enables the same detection platform to measure different gluten protein fractions simultaneously, providing accurate total gluten content determination across various grain types without requiring multiple specialized methods.
2Ease of operation
If only prolamine detection is performed, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to falsified results from ignoring glutelin fractions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges prolamine and glutelin detection into a single operational procedure using a combination antibody mixture. This allows the assay to be performed as easily as traditional single-fraction detection while simultaneously measuring both fractions, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving reliability through comprehensive gluten quantification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a combination antibody mixture as an intermediary that enables simultaneous detection of both prolamine and glutelin fractions. This intermediary solution allows the detection system to account for all gluten proteins without complicating the operational procedure, as the antibody mixture functions as a ready-to-use reagent that captures both fractions in a single binding step.
3Device complexity
If separate detection of gluten fractions is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision worsens due to varying composition of gluten proteins in different grains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal detection system using specific antibodies that can accurately quantify both prolamine and glutelin fractions across different grain types (wheat, rye, barley). This multi-functional antibody mixture adapts to varying gluten compositions in different grains, providing consistent measurement precision without requiring grain-specific calibration or multiple detection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the antibody mixture composition to optimize detection across different grain types. By adjusting the ratios and concentrations of prolamine-specific and glutelin-specific antibodies in the combination mixture, the system adapts to varying gluten protein compositions in wheat, rye, and barley, maintaining high measurement precision across different samples without increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables accurate and simultaneous determination of total gluten content with a single measurement, providing precise quantification of each gluten protein fraction, thereby overcoming the limitations of existing methods that rely on separate detection and incorrect calculations.
Implementation Method 1
detection with a combination conjugate of conjugated detection antibodies specific for prolamine and gluteline
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the quantification of the total gluten content of grains in food samples. Areas of application are primarily the food industry, service laboratories and government test laboratories or biotechnology. The invention aims to quickly and cost-effectively determine the total gluten content in foods with just one measurement. We include a method with which, based on the detection of prolamins and glutelins, all potentially coeliac-relevant gluten protein fractions in food samples are quantified as a total corresponding to their mass. The method is based on the joint use of specific prolamin and glutelin antibodies as a combined conjugate according to the invention for the detection of the total gluten content. In addition, the individual antibody conjugates are thinned so that the contribution of the individual antibodies to the total signal strength corresponds to the proportion of the gluten fraction that they each detect.