ARS | Publication request: COMPARISON OF CHEMICALLY-MODIFIED ZEINS USING A BIS-ALDEHYDE VERSUS A CARBODIIMIDE

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: January 14, 2005
Publication Date: March 12, 2005
Citation: Sessa, D.J., Hamaker, S.A., Selling, G.W. 2005. Comparison of chemically-modified zeins using a bis-aldehyde versus a carbodiimide[abstract]. American Chemical Society. p.161.

Technical Abstract: Co-products of ethanol manufacturing, such as the aqueous alcohol soluble protein zein, must be better utilized to make ethanol production economically feasible with less reliance on government subsidy. Zein is an excellent film former but has limited usage because moisture weakens its mechanical properties. To reduce the impact of moisture on zein's physical properties, zein was chemically cross-linked with either glutaric dialdehyde (GDA) or 1-[3-dimethylamino propyl]-3-ethyl-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) in combination with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). SDS-PAGE was used to follow initial reactions of zein with either GDA or EDC/NHS. The reactions were evaluated at different levels of GDA and EDC-NHS over varying time periods by quenching the reactions. Mechanical properties of the chemically modified zeins were evaluated on an Instron after storage at 50 and 70% RH. The reacted zeins stored at 50% RH demonstrated at least a 1.3-fold increase in tensile strength and percent elongation as compared to unreacted zein. Zein samples that were reacted with GDA yielded similar mechanical properties when stored at 70% RH. These results suggest that cross-linked zein has potential industrial applications.