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VOL. 6, ISSUE 6 (2021)
Zein-the biopolymer, properties, preparation and applications
Authors
V Gomathi, Reshmi Krishna A
Abstract
Biopolymers are natural polymers produced by living organisms and microbes. They are produced from natural and renewable resources and usually falls under three categories - polynucleotides, polypeptides and polysaccharides. Biopolymers have great applications in medical, consumer and food industries. Polysaccharides and their synthetic and semisynthetic derivatives are the most widely used biopolymers. But nowadays, polynucleotides and polypeptides are also widely explored due to advancements in tissue engineering and macromolecular self-assembly techniques. The advantages of being biodegradable, biocompatible with lower immunogenicity and greater potential for biomimicry, makes biopolymers the most suitable candidate for drug delivery applications. In this review, the biopolymer polypeptide from maize- zein is studied for its excellent properties as drug carrier. Zein, the prolamine protein found in the endosperm of corn is amphiphilic in nature and finds several applications in forming microcapsules, nanostructures, films, discs, spheres due to its mesophase behaviour in ethanol-water mixture. Zein is a GRAS compound possessing hydrophobic behaviour making it suitable for preparing nanoparticles encapsulating bioactive compounds. The self-assembling behaviour of zein when subjected to change in polarity, helps to readily encapsulate necessary compounds quite easily.
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Pages:1185-1187
How to cite this article:
V Gomathi, Reshmi Krishna A "Zein-the biopolymer, properties, preparation and applications ". International Journal of Botany Studies, Vol 6, Issue 6, 2021, Pages 1185-1187
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