<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

K Smith <[log in to unmask]> posted in part:

>http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Crops/CropFactSheets/triga.html In
>particular, the following passage from the "Uses" section is of interest:
>In samples of intermediate wheatgrass grain (Wild Triga) tested by USDA, no
>functional gluten was found.

I forwarded what you posted to the list to Donald D. Kasarda, a recently
retired wheat protein researcher with the U. S. Department of Agriculture
in Albany, CA.  His reply, posted with permission:

Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 15:13:03 -0800
To: Don Wiss <[log in to unmask]>
From: Don Kasarda <[log in to unmask]>

Don,

I don't know Triga and couldn't find intermediate wheat grass easily.
However, most wheatgrasses (probably all) belong to the genus Agropyron
(also called Elytrigia).  I have indicated in my paper for the Proceedings
of the Sixth International Symposium (Dublin) that this genus is
sufficiently close to the genus Triticum to indicate to me potential
toxicity for the proteins.

In addition, we (Dvorak, Kasarda, Dietler, Lew, Anderson, Litts, and
Shewry, Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology 28:818-830, 1986) did
find some gliadin-type protein N-terminal amino acid sequences in the
proteins of Elytrigia elongata.  These sequences would be likely indicators
of toxicity for the proteins of this species.

Don