The modification of zein with sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as a cross-linking agent was studied. The effects of the mass ratio of STMP to zein (R S/Z ), pH, reaction temperature and time on the rheological properties of modified zein solution (Z-SP) were evaluated. By using response surface methodology, the optimal modification conditions were also determined as following: R S/Z 0.03, pH 6.8, reaction time 2 h, reaction temperature 25 °C. Under these conditions, the observed shear stress of Z-SP solution was 35.0025 Pa, close to the predicted value. Compared with natural zein, the viscosity of Z-SP increased with the increasing shear rate, which was attributed to the structural changes, as evidenced by circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.