Calcium and pectin's effect on TLR2 signalling
What it found
In lab tests, calcium reduced how strongly low and medium DM pectins blocked TLR2, while high DM pectin was less affected.
None of the pectins switched TLR2 on.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
No TLR2 activation
None of the pectins switched TLR2 on in the lab tests.
Pectins block TLR2
All the pectins blocked TLR2. With no calcium present, DM18 and DM52 blocked it strongly and stuck strongly to TLR2.
Calcium weakens blocking
Adding 1 mM or 10 mM calcium to DM18 and DM52 reduced both their blocking of TLR2 and how strongly they stuck to it.
High DM less affected
Calcium had less effect on TLR2 blocking by the high DM pectin than on the low and medium DM pectins.
What the authors conclude
“Our study shows that calcium reduces inhibition of TLR2 by low and intermediate DM pectins, but calcium has lower impact on TLR2 inhibition by high DM pectins.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say calcium reduces inhibition of TLR2 by low and intermediate DM pectins, but has less impact on high DM pectins.
- They suggest calcium may beneficially influence pectin's impact on TLR2 signalling and contribute to an improved intestinal barrier function.
- They propose that a combined higher intake of pectin and calcium may contribute to a lower incidence of Western diseases.
How it was done
People who eat more fibre and calcium tend to have less allergy, asthma and obesity, but no one knows why. The authors wanted to see whether calcium changes how pectin acts on TLR2.
They tested pectins with DM18, DM52 and DM69 in lab tests, looking at whether each one switched TLR2 on or off and how well it stuck to TLR2. Each pectin was tested with no calcium, 1 mM calcium and 10 mM calcium.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab tests on cells, not studies in people, so they cannot show what happens in the human gut.
- The tests used isolated TLR2 signalling, so they cannot show whether eating more pectin and calcium lowers the chance of allergy, asthma or obesity.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands; Wageningen University, The Netherlands
The paper
- Title
- The influence of calcium on pectin's impact on TLR2 signalling
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Beukema M, Jermendi É, Schols HA, de Vos P (2020). The influence of calcium on pectin's impact on TLR2 signalling. Food & function. doi:10.1039/d0fo01703ePubMed 32902547DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error