Evaluation of Properties and Quality of Commercial White Zein Products
Article
Figures
Metrics
Preview PDF
Reference
Related
Cited by
Materials
Abstract:
In order to fill the gap in thinspection standards for the production and application of white zein products in China, this research evaluated comprehensively the quality of commercial white zein via chemically and instrumentally analyzing the chemical composition, heavy metal content, pigment content, zein solubility, molecular weight distribution and protein structure. The results showed that the contents of protein and heavy metals in the white zein met the requirements of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and National Standards. The pigment content of white zein was only 22.18% of that of yellow zein, and there was no obvious denaturation in white zein. Compared with yellow zein, the white zein had a similar molecular weight and tertiary structure but altered secondary structure (α-helix content, increased from 56.37% to 60.42%; β-sheet content, decreased from 10.51% to 5.92%). These results were mainly due to the decolorization treatment which had reduced the contents of β-zein, pigment and denatured protein whilst increased the content of α-zein. Therefore, a multi-level quality evaluation system should be established by manufacturers and users according to the actual conditions. This study provides a reference for theoretical research related to zein.
