Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) breeding from 1891 to 2010 contributed to increasing yield and glutenin contents but decreasing protein and gliadin contents

Epidemiologic studies suggest an increasing prevalence of celiac disease and nonceliac gluten/wheat sensitivity. With wheat proteins being the main triggers, changes in wheat protein composition are discussed as potential cause. The goals of breeding towards increased yield and resistance might have inadvertently contributed to a higher immunostimulatory potential of modern compared to old wheat cultivars. Therefore, agronomic characteristics, protein content and gluten composition of 60 German winter wheat cultivars first registered between 1891 and 2010 grown in three years were analyzed. While plant height and spike density decreased over time, yield and harvest index increased. The protein and gliadin contents showed a decreasing trend, whereas glutenin contents increased, but there were no changes in albumin/globulin and gluten contents. Overall, the harvest year had a more significant effect on protein composition than the cultivar. At protein level, we found no evidence to support an increased immunostimulatory potential of modern winter wheat.