Abstract
The strength and the character of the binding of 12 organic solvents to the corn protein zein were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The relationship between the physicochemical parameters and binding characteristics of solvents was elucidated by canonical correlation analyses (CCA). As the number of physicochemical parameters was higher than that of our observations, three empirical methods have been employed for the preselection of variables exerting a marked impact on the binding characteristics. Calculations established that the binding of solvents to the protein is of mixed characters involving hydrophobic and electrostatic interactive forces. Sterical correspondence between the interacting molecules and molecular substructures also influence the binding of solvents to zein. The use of different preselection methods resulted in similar but not identical relationships.