Tina Miao

Session
Session 3
Board Number
83

Optimizing Extraction Conditions of Corn Prolamin

Prolamin is a group of proteins with many proline amino acids stored mainly in plants. The main prolamin in corn is zein. Zein is stored in the endosperm of the corn kernel and accounts for more than half of its weight. Because of its hydrophobic amino acids, zein is insoluble in water but soluble in ethanol. In addition, high elasticity and unique rheological behavior allow zein to apply in many plant-based products, such as corn-based gum, cheese, and cultured meat. Zein is categorized into four fractions: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta-zein. The alpha-zein is the major zein protein in corn and can be considered a protein source in plant-based foods. However, increasing alpha-zein yield and purity has been challenging for food industries and scientists. The optimal ethanol and alkaline concentration is the key to alpha-zein yielding in the extraction process. The main goal of this research is to optimize the extraction of the zein fraction from corn meal by comparing the alkaline-assisted ethanol extraction with and without reducing agent, and the effect of ground and unground corn meal protein yield. The 70% (v/v) ethanol with different concentrations of reducing agent is chosen in this research to improve alpha-zein yield and purity. The long-term goal of this research is to identify the optimal extraction condition that produces the maximum amount of zein fractions and purity that allows for more plant-based product development.