Free-Zone Capillary Electrophoresis Analysis of Hordein Patterns at Different Stages of Barley Malting

We have carried out a comparison of hordein patterns at different stages of the malting process using free-zone capillary electrophoresis (FZCE). FZCE has proved to be a suitable technique for the separation and characterization of hordeins in barley seeds. Assays of protein extraction and electrophoretic procedures led us to conclude that hordeins were best extracted with 40% ethanol and analyzed using 50 mM phosphate-glycine, pH 2.5, containing 20% ACN and 0.05% HPMC, at 12.5 kV and 45 degrees C, with 10 s hydrodynamic injection at 0.5 psi and 50 microm i.d. x 31 cm uncoated fused-silica capillary. Our results afford useful information about changes in the composition of these proteins in barley during malting.