Abstract
Prions have been identified as the infection source for bovine spongiform encephalopathy or ‘mad cow disease’. Safety concerns relating to this disease have led to strict feed regulations for specified risk materials (SRMs) in North America, which are characterized as the tissues in cattle where prions are likely to concentrate. As one of the approved SRM disposal methods, thermal hydrolysis converts proteinaceous materials, including prions into non-infective peptides, which have been examined for incorporation into a variety of value-added applications. Here, we describe the bio-conversion of SRM-derived peptides into tackifiers for hydro-mulch applications. Tackifiers are employed in erosion control strategies and help to bind seed and mulch to eroded areas to promote the restoration of vegetation. In this study, epoxidized poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was synthesized and employed for cross-linking of SRM-derived peptides. The reaction conditions and the molar ratio of the reagents applied for the cross-linking reaction were shown to have significant effects on cross-linking behaviour. Furthermore, SRM-derived peptides that were modified with epoxidized PVA displayed viscosity, binding, and moisture maintaining capacity that were comparable to commercially available tackifiers. Hence, this research further strengthens the argument for using SRM-derived peptides as feedstock for sustainable tackifiers development.
Highlights
Prions are believed to be the source of infection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a transmittable neurodegenerative disease found in cattle
In a previous study from our group, we showed that specified risk materials (SRMs)-derived peptides, as well as peptides cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, could be employed as tackifiers [7]
Previous work from our group has shown that SRM-derived peptides could be potentially applied in the development of an industrial tackifier
Summary
Prions are believed to be the source of infection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a transmittable neurodegenerative disease found in cattle. To defend against potential prion infection, the cattle tissues that have a substantially higher risk of prions aggregation, characterized as specified risk materials (SRM), must be separated and disposed of using specific protocols. These tissues, including the brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, vertebral column (with some exclusions), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cattle 30 months of age and older, as well as the tonsils and distal ileum of the small intestine of all cattle [1,2], have been limited and even banned from use as animal feed, pet food, and fertilizers since the 1980s [3]. To reduce animal by-product waste from the livestock industry, many studies have examined the incorporation of SRM into value-added products
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