Recent advances in self-assembly behaviors of prolamins and their applications as functional delivery vehicles

Abstract

Prolamins are a group of storage proteins (zeins, kafirins, hordeins, secalins, gliadins, glutenins, and avenins) found in the endosperm of cereal grains and characterized by high glutamine and proline content. With the high proportion of nonpolar amino acids (40–80%) and peculiar solubility (alcohol (60–90%), acetic acid, and alkaline solutions), prolamins exhibit tunable self-assembly behaviors. In recent years, research practices of utilizing prolamins as green building materials of functional delivery vehicles to improve the health benefits of bioactive compounds have surged due to their attractive advantages (e.g. sustainability, biocompatibility, fabrication potential, and cost-competitiveness). This article covers the recent advances in self-assembly behaviors leading to the fabrication of nanoparticles, fibers, and films in the bulk water phase, at the air-liquid interface, and under the electrostatic field. Different fabrication methods, including antisolvent precipitation, evaporation induced self-assembly, thermal treatment, pH-modulation, electrospinning, and solvent casting for assembling nanoarchitectures as functional delivery vehicles are highlighted. Emerging industrial applications by mapping patents, including encapsulation and delivery of bioactive compounds and probiotics, active packaging, Pickering emulsions, and as functional additives to develop safer, healthier, and sustainable food products are discussed. A future perspective concerning the fabrication of prolamins as advanced materials to promote their commercial food applications is proposed.

Keywords:

• prolamins
• self-assembly
• nanoparticles
• electrospun fibers
• films
• Pickering emulsions

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Entrepreneurial Teams under Grant (No. 2019ZT08N291), the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant (No. 31701556), and the Pearl Rriver’s Young Scholar Project in Guangdong Province (2019).