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Research article2016Peer reviewed

Monitoring Nanostructure Dynamics and Polymerization in Glycerol Plasticized Wheat Gliadin and Glutenin Films: Relation to Mechanical Properties

Kuktaite, Ramune; Newson, William; Rasheed, Faiza; Plivelic, Tomas S.; Hedenqvist, Mikael S.; Gällstedt, Mikael; Johansson, Eva

Abstract

Gliadin and glutenin proteins with 10, 20, 30 and 40% of glycerol were compression molded into films (130 degrees C) and evaluated for protein polymerization, beta-sheet structure and nano-structural morphology. Here, for the first time we show how different amounts of glycerol impact the nano-structure and functional properties of the gliadin and glutenin films. Most polymerized protein was found in the gliadin films with 20 and 30% glycerol, and in all the glutenin films (except 10%), by RP-HPLC. A beta-sheet-rich protein structure was found to be high in the 10 and 20% glycerol gliadin films, and in the 20 and 30% glycerol glutenin films by FT-IR. Glycerol content of 20, 30 and 40% impacted the nano-structural morphology of the gliadin glycerol films observed by SAXS, and to a limited extent for 10 and 20% glycerol gliadin films revealed by WAXS. No ordered nano-structure was found for the glutenin glycerol films. The 20%, 30% and 40% glycerol films were the most tunable for specific mechanical properties. For the highest stiffness and strength, the 10% glycerol protein films were the best choice.

Keywords

Protein morphology; Protein film; Glycerol content; Polymerization; SAXS; WAXS

Published in

ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
2016, Volume: 4, number: 6, pages: 2998-3007
Publisher: AMER CHEMICAL SOC