Improved Solubility and Emulsification of Wet-Milled Corn Germ Protein Recovered by Ultrafiltration-Diafiltration

This study evaluated Ultrafiltration-Diafiltration (UFDF) as a means to improve the extractability of wet-milled corn germ protein and determined its effects on the functional properties of the recovered protein product. Wet germ and dried germ proteins were extracted by using 0.1 M NaCl at 50 A degrees C. Major steps in the method were stirring, centrifugation, UFDF and freeze-drying. For dried germ, the UFDF method showed marginal increase in protein extraction efficiency, while that of wet germ remained similar to what we observed for the baseline method (saline extraction with dialysis instead of UFDF). UFDF protein extracts from both germ samples were significantly more soluble than extracts recovered by the baseline method and showed atypical solubility profiles; i.e., the amount of soluble protein was essentially unchanged under acidic, neutral, and alkaline pH. UFDF-dried germ protein was markedly more soluble than UFDF-wet germ protein (80 vs 50 % soluble protein, respectively) between pH 2 and pH 10. Both of these UFDF-germ proteins also had emulsifying capacities and water-holding capacities that were superior to those of proteins extracted by the baseline method, but this favorable effect by UFDF was not observed for emulsion stability, foaming properties, and heat stability.