A Proteomic Approach to Identify Zein Proteins upon Eco-Friendly Ultrasound-Based Extraction

Abstract

Zein is a type of prolamin storage protein that has a variety of biomedical and industrial applications. Due to the considerable genetic variability and polyploidity of the starting material, as well as the extraction methods used, the characterization of the protein composition of zein requires a combination of different analytical processes. Therefore, we combined modern analytical methods such as mass spectrometry (MS), Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), atomic force microscopy (AFM), or Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy–attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) for a better characterization of the extracted zein. In this study, we present an enhanced eco-friendly extraction method, including grinding and sieving corn seeds, for prolamins proteins using an ultrasonic extraction methodology. The use of an ultrasonic homogenizer, 65% ethanol extraction buffer, and 710 µm maize granulation yielded the highest protein extraction from all experimental conditions we employed. An SDS PAGE analysis of the extracted zein protein mainly revealed two intense bands of approximatively 20 and 23 kDa, suggesting that the extracted zein was mostly α-zein monomer. Additionally, MS analysis revealed as a main component the α-zein PMS2 (Uniprot accession no. P24450) type protein in the maize flour extract. Moreover, AFM studies show that extracting zein with a 65% ethanol and a 710 µm granulation yields a homogeneous content that could allow these proteins to be employed in future medical applications. This research leads to a better understanding of zeins content critical for developing new applications of zein in food and pharmaceutical industries, such as biocompatible medical vehicles based on polyplexes complex nanoparticles of zein with antimicrobial or drug delivery properties.

Circular Extraction: Innovative Use of a Switchable Composite Extractant for Prolamin Extraction from Grain Byproducts

“…A mild band at approximately 46 kDa was also observed due to the cysteine residues and inter-chain disulfide-bridge formation between αzein monomers. 35 The SDS-PAGE electrophoretic pattern suggests that the extracted zein has a similar protein content among SCEZ1 (first-time SCE-extracted zein), SCEZ10 (10thtime SCE-extracted zein), and AEZ along, which is in agreement with literature studies. 36,37 The commercial zein also showed a small peak at 18 kDa, which could be attributable to γ-zein.…”

Electrosprayed Core (Cellulose Acetate)–Shell (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) Nanoparticles for Smart Acetaminophen Delivery

“…The amorphous state is a high-energy state over the crystalline state, and, thus, the long time period of stable existence needs fine compatibility between the co-existence components to prevent possible solid-phase separation [ 78 , 79 , 80 ]. FTIR spectra can be exploited to disclose the possible secondary interactions between the components, which include hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and Van Der Waals forces and are favorable to high stability [ 81 , 82 , 83 ]. The ATR-FTIR spectra of the raw materials (ATP, PVP, and CA) and their electrosprayed products (P1, P2, and P3) are included in Figure 7 .…”

Tissue engineering modalities in skeletal muscles: focus on angiogenesis and immunomodulation properties

“…In recent years, plant-based hydrogels are emerging scaffolds over recent years [ 70 – 72 ]. Phytocompounds such as polysaccharides (agar, cellulose, and pectin) and proteins (soy and zein) are abundant in plants [ 73 – 76 ]. It has been shown that plant-based hydrogels are eco-friendly, low-cost, and biocompatible with low-rate biodegradation [ 77 – 79 ].…”