| abstract |
A method for forming a protein composition, melt-processed composition and handkerchief The present invention provides a melt-processed protein composition formed from a protein, a plasticizer and an electrophilic reagent. the electrophilic reagent, for example, may be selected to undergo a nucleophilic addition reaction with free sulfhydryl and / or thiyl radicals, to help minimize the formation of disulfide crosslinking bonds, which could otherwise lead to the aggregation of proteins during fusion mass processing. To enhance the degree to which the electrophilic reagent can limit crosslinking, it is also a plasticizer, which helps to mediate the adsorption of the electrophilic reagent to the protein's internal structure, where it can be more stably retained. In addition, the temperature and shear rate employed during the melt blending combination can also be selected to be relatively low to help limit polypeptide dissociation, thereby minimizing the impact of aggregation and embrittlement. |