Characterization of Prolamin Recycled from the Byproduct of the Baijiu Brewing Industry (Jiuzao) by Sds-Page, Multispectral Analysis, and Morphological Analysis

Prolamins have attracted increasing attention in recent years because of their potential application in active ingredient encapsulation and food packaging. As a byproduct in the Baijiu brewing industry with huge production (40 million tons every year), Jiuzao is a great source of prolamin because the fermentation process consumes mainly starch instead of protein. However, information on the extraction method and the characteristics of prolamin from Baijiu Jiuzao (PBJ) is still lacking at present. In this study, PBJ was extracted and characterized in terms of composition, secondary structure, morphology, aggregation state and solubility. The results suggested that the PBJ consisted of partial fractions of kafirin without γ -kafirin. PBJ had more α -helix structures, was more hydrophobic, and more easily aggregated together than kafirin. Morphology analysis showed that the surface of the PBJ powder consisted of joint spheres or dumbbell particles. Aggregates were formed at the molecular level with R g and D max of 13.94 nm and 52.61 nm, respectively. These findings updated the new knowledge of prolamin from byproducts of the brewing industry and provided an environmentally friendly way to recycle Jiuzao