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Title: BLENDS OF CYSTEINE-CONTAINING PROTEINS: I. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Author
item Barone, Justin
item Dangaran, Kirsten
item Schmidt, Walter

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2006
Publication Date: 6/23/2006
Citation: Barone, J.R., Dangaran, K.L., Schmidt, W.F. 2006. Blends of cysteine-containing proteins: i. physical properties. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 54:5393-5399.

Interpretive Summary: Keratin, lactalbumin, albumin, and gluten are all useful proteins that can be derived from agricultural feedstocks and waste streams. Each has a unique set of properties and blending them together can be a simple way to get new advantageous properties. This paper describes the physical properties of these blends, such as strength, stiffness, and permeability.

Technical Abstract: Proteins such as keratin, lactalbumin, albumin, and gluten can be obtained from agricultural sources. These proteins contain the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine allows for the formation of inter- and intra-molecular sulfur-sulfur bonds. It was found that cysteine-containing proteins have varied properties and can be blended together to form materials with the attributes of each polymer. Tensile test data are shown as well as birefringence data that correlates physical properties with some structural features. Permeability data are also shown as the protein blend materials could have use as packaging materials or membranes.