Structural Modification and Solubility Enhancement of Glutenin by pH-Shifting

Abstract

Glutenin (Glu) was modified by pH-shifting to improve its properties. The effect of pH-shifting treatment on the structure and micromorphology of glutenin was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results showed that pH-shifting could significantly reduce the particle size of Glu aggregates and increase the surface charge of Glu granules. Meanwhile, it increased the hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl group content, and decreased the disulfide bond content, and the effect of alkaline pH-shifting was more significant than that of acidic pH-shifting. In addition, alkaline pH-shifting significantly improved the solubility of Glu, which could play an active role in broadening the application range of Glu in the food industry.

Keywords

• glutenin; ph-shifting treatment; surface hydrophobicity; solubility; protein structure