Zein is a prolamine of maize. Conventionally, 70–90% aqueous ethanol is used to dissolve zein. When the hydrodynamic radii of zein molecules in aqueous ethanol were monitored with a dynamic light scattering instrument, it was found that zein aggregates in the solvent and the degree of aggregation depends on the composition of the solvent mixture. As the ethanol content of solvent increased from...

The interaction of 12 substituted phenol, three aminophenol and four substituted aniline derivatives with the corn protein zein was studied on zein-coated silica and alumina stationary phases by high-performance liquid chromatography using bidistilled water as mobile phase. Solutes were eluted from the zein-coated supports with different retention times indicating that they bind to the protein ...

The high cost of kafirin and zein restricts their use for bioplastic and food applications. Effective, simple and rapid kafirin/zein isolation processes are required. Here a percolationtype aqueous ethanol solvent extraction process from coarse meals (grits) and coarse sorghum DDGS for kafirin and zein isolation employing a low ratio of extractant to meal (2.5:1) was investigated, which is pote...

Quality Protein Maize (QPM) is a hard kernel variant of the high-lysine mutant, opaque2. Using γ-irradiation, we created opaque QPM variants to identify opaque-2 modifier genes and to investigate deletion mutagenesis combined with Illumina sequencing as a maize functional genomics tool. A K0326Y-QPM deletion mutant (line 107) was null for the 27and 50-kD γ-zeins and abolished vitreous endosperm...

Methods must be developed to improve both the processability and physical properties of zein-based articles. Typical plasticizing gents that improve processability have a negative impact on physical properties at elevated humidities. Continued efforts must be mployed to discover improved plasticizers. Carboxylic acids having more than one carboxylic acid moiety have been evaluated in ein melt f...

In previous papers, a new technology that produces biopolymer composites by particle-bonding was introduced. During the manufacturing process, micrometer-scale raw material was coated with a corn (Zea mays L.) protein, zein, which was then processed to form a rigid material. The coating of rawmaterial particles with zein makes use of the unique property of this protein in aqueous ethanol soluti...

Periodontitis is a widespread dental disease affecting 10 to 15% of worldwide adult population, yet the current treatments are far from satisfactory. The human periodontal ligament stem cell is a promising potential seed cell population type in cell-based therapy and tissue regeneration, which require appropriate scaffold to provide a mimic extracellular matrix. Zein, a native protein derived f...

The effects of zein ratio, concentration of glycerol, liquid-solid ratio, ethanol concentration, pH and heat-treatment temperature on the properties of zein/wheat gluten composite films were researched. The results showed that elongation (E) increased with an increase in glycerol or ethanol concentrations, but it first increased and then decreased with increasing zein/wheat gluten ratio, heat-t...

A new approach has been undertaken to analyze the sequences and linear organization of the 19-kD zein genes in maize (Zea mays). A high-coverage, large-insert genomic library of the inbred line B73 based on bacterial artificial chromosomes was used to isolate a redundant set of clones containing members of the 19-kD zein gene family, which previously had been estimated to consist of 50 members....

Cereal Chem. 90(3):204–210 A new class of zein additives was investigated, thiocyanate salts. Ammonium, potassium, guanidine (GTC), and magnesium thiocyanate salts were added to solutions of zein in with various amounts of tri(ethylene glycol) (TEG), cast as films, and then tested to determine the impact that each salt had on properties. The presence of these salts affected solution rheology an...