Purification of zein from corn gluten meal
First Claim
1. A method of producing decolored and deflavored zein or zein bodies and glutelins from corn gluten comprising removing color and flavor impurities from the gluten by treating corn gluten with alkali to remove fatty acids and corn oils contained therein and then with an aqueous alcoholic solvent having a concentration which does not substantially extract zein, zein bodies and glutelins therefrom, thereafter changing the concentration of the alcoholic solvent to a concentration sufficient to separate the gluten into decolored and deflavored zein or zein bodies and glutelin fractions.
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Abstract
This invention pertains to methods for extracting and purifying zein, zein bodies, glutelins or destarched corn gluten from corn gluten meal by efficiently removing and recovering food grade pigments and starch hydrolysates, while discarding unwanted fractions. Corn gluten is subjected to the combination of enzymatic starch hydrolysis, alkaline treatment, alcohol washing and alcohol extraction to produce a substantially starch-free, deflavored and decolored zein which is suitable for use in foods and pharmaceuticals. An advantage of the process described herein is its use of food grade alcohol(s) to deflavor, decolorize and extract the zein from corn gluten meal. Purified zein and zein bodies have improved utility and functionality in a variety of existing and emerging food applications. Alternate products such as deflavored, decolored and destarched corn gluten, zein bodies or glutelins are also obtained by the methods of this invention and are useful as vegetable protein supplements. By-products of the invention such as yellow food pigments and starch hydrolysates can be further purified and/or used directly in various foods.
69 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A method of producing decolored and deflavored zein or zein bodies and glutelins from corn gluten comprising removing color and flavor impurities from the gluten by treating corn gluten with alkali to remove fatty acids and corn oils contained therein and then with an aqueous alcoholic solvent having a concentration which does not substantially extract zein, zein bodies and glutelins therefrom, thereafter changing the concentration of the alcoholic solvent to a concentration sufficient to separate the gluten into decolored and deflavored zein or zein bodies and glutelin fractions.
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5. A method of producing decolored and deflavored zein or zein bodies containing zein therein from corn gluten, comprising the steps of:
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a) destarching the corn gluten with a carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzyme under agitating conditions, sufficient to hydrolyze and remove starch contained therein; b) treating the destarched corn gluten of step (a) with an alkaline buffer having a pH from about 7.5 to about 9 under conditions sufficient to remove fatty acids or corn oils contained therein; c) selectively extracting pigments and flavor compounds from the destarched and alkaline treated gluten of step (b) with aqueous alcohol having an alcohol concentration that does not substantially extract zein, zein bodies or glutelins; d) separating the gluten into zein or zein body and glutelin fractions by extracting or fractionating the gluten of step (c) with aqueous alcohol solvent having an alcohol concentration sufficient to either solubilize the zein or fractionate zein bodies therein; and e) recovering the separated zein or zein body fractions from the appropriate aqueous alcoholic medium to thereby yield decolored and deflavored zein or zein bodies containing zein therein. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of producing deflavored and decolored corn glutens, comprising the steps of:
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a) destarching the corn gluten with a carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzyme under agitating conditions, sufficient to hydrolyze and remove starch contained therein; b) treating with destarched corn gluten of step (a) with an alkaline buffer having a pH from about 7.5 to about 9 under conditions sufficient to remove fatty acids or corn oils contained therein; c) selectively extracting pigments and flavor compounds from the destarched and alkaline treated gluten of step (b) with aqueous alcohol having an alcohol concentration that does not substantially extract zein, zein bodies or glutelins to obtain deflavored and decolored glutelins.
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Specification