Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Plant Polymer Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #266471
Title: Zein purificatin for use in producing gluten-free bread and electro-spun fibers

Author
item Sessa, David
item Bean, Scott
item Smith, Brennan
item Selling, Gordon

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2011
Publication Date: 10/19/2011
Citation: Sessa, D.J., Bean, S., Smith, B.M., Selling, G.W. 2011. Zein purificatin for use in producing gluten-free bread and electro-spun fibers. Meeting Abstract. xx.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The residual lipids, yellow color and off-odor of commercial zein are major deterrents to its usage for food and medical applications. Methodologies to de-fat, deodorize and decolorize those zein products can be accomplished by column filtrations of commercial zein, dissolved in aqueous ethanol, passed through column media consisting of Zeolite 5A and an activated carbon. Gluten-free baked products are an area of interest because 1% or more Americans are gluten intolerant. Published research demonstrated that de-fatting commercial zein was an essential step needed to achieve good loaf volume in bread baking. Trials with our processed zein produced palatable breads with improved color and appearance compared to bread made with unpurified zein. Electro-spinning of purified zein has potential medical applications. The solvent resistance of the zein fabrics is not sufficient to survive in vivo. After cross-linking our purified zein with a carbodiimide, the fabric has improved solvent resistance (only 50% soluble in known zein solvents) and may provide a suitable scaffold for cell growth. Because carbodiimide is a facilitator for cross-linking the N- and C- terminal groups of a protein, it does not complex with the protein. Therefore, the electro-spun fabric can be washed free of the cross-linking agent. This research provides a simple, environmentally-safe method for de-fatting, deodorizing, decolorizing commercial zeins that can be used for new applications in baking gluten-free breads and in producing electro-spun fibers for medical usage.