Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein

Prolamins are hydrophobic proteins extracted using water-ethanol mixtures, useful for texturing meat and cheese alternatives at low temperatures due to their self-aggregating properties. This study explored the rheological and structural properties of the corn prolamin zein under varying temperature...

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Main Authors: Bhanu Devnani, Nicholle Kirsten Tan, Jeffrey M Sanders, John C Shelley, Francesca Moraca, Lutz Grossmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Future Foods
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833524002077
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author Bhanu Devnani
Nicholle Kirsten Tan
Jeffrey M Sanders
John C Shelley
Francesca Moraca
Lutz Grossmann
author_facet Bhanu Devnani
Nicholle Kirsten Tan
Jeffrey M Sanders
John C Shelley
Francesca Moraca
Lutz Grossmann
author_sort Bhanu Devnani
collection DOAJ
description Prolamins are hydrophobic proteins extracted using water-ethanol mixtures, useful for texturing meat and cheese alternatives at low temperatures due to their self-aggregating properties. This study explored the rheological and structural properties of the corn prolamin zein under varying temperature and pH conditions and compared its rheological behavior to the barley prolamin hordein. Zein showed plasticization when heated, with plasticization temperatures ranging from 41.3 °C at pH 4 to 46.7 °C at pH 6. Texture maps indicated that zein formed brittle gels within the linear viscoelastic range and tougher structures at crossover, unlike hordein, which was more elastic and lacked a clear plasticization behavior (softening) during heating. These differences were linked to zein's hydrophobicity. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations showed zein self-aligning into anisotropic protein structures during heating, with its radius of gyration increasing from Rg = 21 Å to Rg = 34 Å by heating. This study provided insights into the structuring of prolamins and highlighted the need to understand plasticization mechanisms to improve zein's functionality in food applications.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
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spelling doaj-art-edcb4c97296d40a694d6be9b49a9edb82024-12-18T08:53:57ZengElsevierFuture Foods2666-83352024-12-0110100503Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordeinBhanu Devnani0Nicholle Kirsten Tan1Jeffrey M Sanders2John C Shelley3Francesca Moraca4Lutz Grossmann5Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USADepartment of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USADepartment of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Schrödinger Inc, 1540 Broadway 24th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USASchrödinger Inc, 1540 Broadway 24th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USASchrödinger Inc, 1540 Broadway 24th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USADepartment of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, 100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Corresponding author.Prolamins are hydrophobic proteins extracted using water-ethanol mixtures, useful for texturing meat and cheese alternatives at low temperatures due to their self-aggregating properties. This study explored the rheological and structural properties of the corn prolamin zein under varying temperature and pH conditions and compared its rheological behavior to the barley prolamin hordein. Zein showed plasticization when heated, with plasticization temperatures ranging from 41.3 °C at pH 4 to 46.7 °C at pH 6. Texture maps indicated that zein formed brittle gels within the linear viscoelastic range and tougher structures at crossover, unlike hordein, which was more elastic and lacked a clear plasticization behavior (softening) during heating. These differences were linked to zein's hydrophobicity. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations showed zein self-aligning into anisotropic protein structures during heating, with its radius of gyration increasing from Rg = 21 Å to Rg = 34 Å by heating. This study provided insights into the structuring of prolamins and highlighted the need to understand plasticization mechanisms to improve zein's functionality in food applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833524002077Corn proteinMD simulationAlternative proteinSustainable proteinExtrusion
spellingShingle Bhanu Devnani
Nicholle Kirsten Tan
Jeffrey M Sanders
John C Shelley
Francesca Moraca
Lutz Grossmann
Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
Future Foods
Corn protein
MD simulation
Alternative protein
Sustainable protein
Extrusion
title Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
title_full Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
title_fullStr Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
title_full_unstemmed Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
title_short Molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
title_sort molecular insights into the structure forming properties of zein and a rheological comparison with hordein
topic Corn protein
MD simulation
Alternative protein
Sustainable protein
Extrusion
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833524002077
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AT johncshelley molecularinsightsintothestructureformingpropertiesofzeinandarheologicalcomparisonwithhordein
AT francescamoraca molecularinsightsintothestructureformingpropertiesofzeinandarheologicalcomparisonwithhordein
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