Zein nanofibers containing cyclodextrins (zein/CD) were produced via electrospinning. Three types of CDs (α-CD, β-CD and γ-CD) having 10%, 25% and 50% (w/w) were individually incorporated into zein nanofibers. SEM imaging elucidated that the morphologies of the electrospun zein/CD nanofibers depended on the CD type and weight percentage. The incorporation of CDs in zein improved the electrospin...

We have determined whether zein microspheres could act as vaccine adjuvants i.e. increase the immune responses to co-administered immunogens. Ovalbumin (model antigen)-loaded zein microspheres, blank zein microspheres and ovalbumin solution were intramuscularly administered to mice and the sera antibody levels were determined by ELISA. Another group of mice was orally dosed with blank zein micr...

Aquatic toxicity testing generally focuses on the water absorption/dermal route of exposure to potential toxic chemicals, while much less work has been done on the oral route of exposure. This is due in part to the difficulties of applying traditional oral toxicity testing to aquatic environments, including the tendency for test chemicals to dissolve into water. The use of biopolymer nanopartic...

Posttranscriptional degradation of zein mRNAs in Zea mays, presumably caused by high RNase activity, may be involved in reducing zein synthesis in the endosperms of zein-deficient mutants. Zein proteins prepared from mature endosperms of zein-deficient double mutants such as brittle-2;opaque-2 showed an almost complete blockage of the synthesis of two major zein components, Z1 and Z2. However, ...

Cereal Chem. 79(1):1–18 Corn is the largest and most important agricultural commodity in America. Zein, one of the components in corn, has long been investigated for uses other than food and feed. Zein is a unique and complex material, and it is one of the few cereal proteins extracted in a relatively pure form. Today, because of environmental concerns, interest in zein utilization is again gro...

Zein is a biodegradable and biocompatible material extracted from renewable resources; it comprises almost 80% of the whole protein content in corn. This review highlights and describes some zein and zein-based materials, focusing on biomedical applications. It was demonstrated in this review that the biodegradation and biocompatibility of zein are key parameters for its uses in the food-packin...

Cereal Chem. 88(2):159–173 Corn can be fractioned to produce starch, fiber, oil, and protein in relatively pure forms. The corn kernel contains 9–12% protein, but half of this is an industrially useful protein called zein. Dry milled corn (DMC), corn gluten meal (CGM), and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are all coproducts from corn that contain zein and are used for zein extracti...