Peer review

The protein from maize seeds can be recovered in two solubility fractions. Fraction 1 includes zeins (low quality proteins), extracted with 60% tert-butyl alcohol, and fraction 2, called nonzein (high quality proteins), includes albumins, globulins, glutelins, and others, extracted with a high pH buffer containing an ionic detergent (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and a reducing agent (2-mercaptoethanol). Protein content of the two fractions, determined by a simple Coomassie Blue R-250 dye-binding method, using comparable proteins as standards, gives an estimate of protein quantity of the sample. The zein as percent of total extractable protein or the ratio of zein to nonzein can be used to estimate the protein quality. The method offers promise as a mass-screening tool to identify the maize germ plasm with high protein and/or high quality protein.

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