OXIDATIVELY CROSS-LINKED PROTEIN-BASED ENCAPSULATES

摘要

The present invention provides a method of producing a protein-based encapsulate, said method comprising: providing an aqueous solution of a protein that is capable of forming disulfide cross-links; submitting said aqueous solution to a protein activation treatment to produce an aqueous suspension of activated protein aggregates, said suspension having a reactivity of at least 5.0 mumol thiol groups per gram of activated protein aggregates as determined in the Ellman's assay; dispensing said aqueous suspension in a gas or a water-immiscible liquid to produce suspension droplets having a diameter of 0.1-500 mum; and forming disulfide cross-links between the activated protein aggregates by contacting the activated protein aggregates with an oxidizing agent, optionally after said activated protein aggregates have been partially cross-linked by forming disulfide cross-links by means of heat treatment or by pressurization to a pressure in excess of 50 MPa. The aforementioned method offers the advantage that the characteristics of the protein-based encapsulation matrix can be controlled effectively. Furthermore, said method enables the preparation of protein-based encapsulates that very effectively protect the encapsulated components, e.g. against oxidation or moisture.