Extraction of zein protein from gluten meal

• US 6,602,985 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lurgi PSI, Inc. (Air Liquide SA)
• Original Assignee: Lurgi PSI, Inc. (Air Liquide SA)
• Inventors: Tang, Qingnong, McInnis, Jerel
• Primary Examiner(s): Low, Christopher S. F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lukton, David
• Application Number:
  US09/501,836
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 530/373, 530/376, 530/422, 530/424, 530/427
• US Class Current: 530/373
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/00 Medicinal preparations containing peptides peptides containing beta-lactam rings A61K31/00; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, A61K31/00; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type A61K31/48; containing macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units A61K31/74; medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00; medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients, e.g. peptides as drug carriers, A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/415 from plants

Abstract

Zein is recovered from gluten meal prepared by wet milling procedures by washing the gluten with clean water to remove water-soluble components; separating the water-soluble components and recovering the water-insoluble components; extracting the water insoluble components with hydrous ethanol solvent to extract zein; recovering the crude zein extract; treating the crude zein extract with an adsorbent that adsorbs at least one of color, odor, oil and fatty acid; and to yield a purified zein extract.

Claims

1. A process for preparing spray-dried zein protein from corn gluten comprising:

(a) washing corn gluten with water to remove water-soluble components and recover the water-insoluble components containing the zein;

(b) extracting the water-insoluble components with 40-90% hydrous ethanol solvent to extract zein and form a crude zein liquid composition;

(c) removing insoluble components from said crude zein liquid composition to form an intermediate zein-containing liquid composition;

(d) treating the intermediate zein-containing liquid composition with activated carbon for a time and under conditions effective to adsorb at least one of color, odor, oil and fatty acid to form an activated carbon-treated, zein-containing liquid composition;

(e) removing the activated carbon and any adsorbed impurities from the activated carbon-treated, zein-containing liquid composition to yield a purified zein extract; and

(f) spray drying the purified zein extract to yield spray-dried zein protein.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrous ethanol extraction step is conducted at a temperature of 35 to 80°

C.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the corn gluten is either wet or dry.