Unique milk protein based nanotubes: Food and nanotechnology meet

Partial hydrolysis of the milk protein alpha-lactalbumin by a protease from Bacillus licheniformis results in building blocks, which self-assemble into nanometer-sized tubular structures at appropriate conditions. These nanostructures promise various applications in food, nanomedicine and nanotechnology. Important aspects for application of alpha-lactalbumin nanotubes are the formation conditions and nanotube stability. Therefore, this paper reviews the stability and possible applications of alpha-lactalbumin nanotubes. The stability can be controlled by solvent conditions as well as by cross-linking the nanotubes with for example transglutaminase. This controllable stability considerably widens the scope of applications.