Luping Gu

Fermented egg white is often hindered by inherent nutritional limitations, leading to poor fermentation kinetics, undesirable textures, and unbalanced flavors–related chemical profiles (such as the accumulation of harsh aldehydes). To address these challenges, this study investigated the modulatory effect of milk‐derived components on the structural regulation and metabolic behavior of fermented egg white. Biophysical and rheological analyses revealed that specifically delactosed whey permeate (DLP) restructured the protein network, inducing the formation of a finely dispersed weak gel characterized by smaller particle sizes, elevated surface hydrophobicity, and pronounced shear‐thinning behavior. Chemical profiling demonstrated that DLP effectively modified the flavor potential and volatile composition: It maximized the proportion of umami‐associated amino acids and key dairy volatiles (e.g., diacetyl) while eliminating aldehydes associated with off‐flavors. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics provided insights into the biochemical shifts associated with these modifications. DLP was associated with the modulation of metabolic pathways by significantly enriching central carbon metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis, potentially contributing to an abundant supply of flavor precursors. Concurrently, DLP reduced the accumulation of hydrophobic peptides typically associated with bitterness (e.g., leucyl‐leucine) and downregulated undesirable secondary metabolic pathways, such as alkaloid biosynthesis. Ultimately, this study shows that DLP from milk synergistically modulates the texture and flavor potential of fermented egg white by restructuring its protein network and influencing metabolic pathways to promote the accumulation of desirable aroma precursors while reducing compounds linked to off‐flavors, providing a novel strategy for protein matrix engineering.

BACKGROUND: Thermal treatment of liquid egg yolk promotes lipoprotein denaturation and aggregation, resulting in increased viscosity and impaired emulsifying properties. This study investigated whether phospholipase A2‐hydrolyzed egg yolk granules (PLA2‐HEYG) could improve the thermal stability and interfacial functionality of recombined egg yolk liquid. RESULTS: Native egg yolk was recombined with 0–200 g kg ⁻¹ PLA2‐HEYG and heated at 75 °C for 7 min. Increasing the PLA2‐HEYG level reduced the apparent viscosity of both unheated and heated samples and progressively suppressed heat‐induced aggregation. After heating, the volume‐weighted mean particle diameter D [4,3] decreased from 904.163 μm in the control (TH0) to 5.764 μm and 2.207 μm at 150 and 200 g kg ⁻¹ PLA2‐HEYG, respectively, corresponding to decreases of 99.36% and 99.76%. Confocal microscopy further showed fewer large aggregates at higher PLA2‐HEYG levels. The addition of PLA2‐HEYG also reduced the contact angle and interfacial tension, indicating improved interfacial properties. After heating, emulsifying capacity increased with PLA2‐HEYG addition; the sample containing 200 g kg ⁻¹ PLA2‐HEYG reached 111.25 mL, comparable to unheated native egg yolk (110 mL) and 51.36% higher than the heated control. Emulsifying stability also increased with PLA2‐HEYG addition, whereas emulsifying activity increased at lower addition levels and then decreased slightly. CONCLUSION: Incorporating PLA2‐HEYG, particularly at 150–200 g kg ⁻¹ , effectively suppressed heat‐induced aggregation and preserved the interfacial and emulsifying functionality of liquid egg yolk during thermal treatment, demonstrating its potential for improving the thermal processability of egg yolk products. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

To enhance the comprehensive quality of gluten‐free biscuits, this study employed pepsin, trypsin, and neutral protease to enzymatically hydrolyze egg yolk plasma, systematically investigating the effects of the resulting hydrolysates on the physicochemical properties, texture, and flavor in dough and final baked products. The results demonstrated that enzymatic hydrolysis effectively modified the structural components of egg yolk plasma. Hydrophilic peptides enhanced system hydration, facilitated water redistribution, reduced free water content, and consequently improved dough rheology. Concurrently, the hydrolysis of lipoproteins triggered the release of encapsulated lipids, which acted as a plasticizer within the dough matrix. During baking, these liberated lipid components mitigated excessive densification of the starch–protein network, significantly reducing cookie hardness. Moreover, lipids and peptides synergistically served as flavor precursors, promoting the generation of diverse and well‐balanced volatile flavor compounds. The pepsin and trypsin treatments achieved balanced lipid release and efficient water management, yielding biscuits with uniform honeycomb structures and distinct flavor profiles. In contrast, neutral protease treatment resulted in heterogeneous phase distribution and off‐flavor accumulation, leading to inferior textural and sensory attributes. This study demonstrates how enzymatic hydrolysis concurrently optimizes texture and flavor in gluten‐free biscuits via structural modifications driven by lipid release and water redistribution, offering a practical basis for the rational design of functional baking ingredients. Practical Applications: This research provides the food industry with a natural ingredient (enzyme‐treated egg yolk plasma) to significantly improve the quality of gluten‐free biscuits. It effectively solves the common problems of hard textures and bland tastes in gluten‐free products by naturally enhancing crunchiness and rich bakery aromas. Food manufacturers can use this clean‐label approach to upgrade their commercial recipes, ultimately offering consumers with dietary restrictions a much more enjoyable and flavorful snacking experience.

This study explored the effects of three drying techniques—spray drying (SD), electrostatic spray drying (ESD), and freeze drying (FD)—on the physicochemical and functional properties of egg yolk phospholipid peptide–dihydromyricetin (EYPP‐DMY) composite powders. The powders were systematically evaluated for solubility, rehydration behavior, encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stability. The results demonstrated that SD and ESD significantly improved the solubility and reconstitution stability of the powders compared to FD, primarily due to their smaller particle sizes and reduced crystallinity. All drying methods achieved high encapsulation efficiencies (>85%), with no significant degradation of DMY. Although FD provided slightly better retention of DMY, SD exhibited the most favorable overall performance, particularly in terms of solubility and antioxidant activity. These findings highlight spray drying as a promising technique for producing stable, functional protein–polyphenol composite powders, offering practical potential for applications in the food industry.

BACKGROUND: Iron‐deficiency anemia (IDA) persists as a global public health burden, urging the development of high‐efficacy iron supplements with improved bioavailability and stability. Egg yolk phosphopeptides (EYPPs) possess excellent metal‐chelating potential due to their abundant functional groups, making them ideal carriers for iron fortification. RESULTS: This study synthesized and characterized an egg yolk phosphopeptide‐ferrous (EYPP‐Fe) chelate, optimizing reaction conditions as follows: 7.5% peptide concentration, 3:1 peptide‐to‐iron salt mass ratio, 55 °C reaction temperature, pH 7, and 40 min reaction time. Structural analyses via ultraviolet–visible, fluorescence, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed chelate formation, with ferrous ions coordinating with EYPP's amino, carboxyl, and phosphate groups. In vitro assays demonstrated EYPP‐Fe's robust stability against heat, salt, acid, and gastrointestinal digestion. In a zebrafish model of phenylhydrazine‐induced anemia, EYPP‐Fe significantly ameliorated anemia ( P < 0.05), increasing cardiac erythrocyte staining intensity by 78.57% compared to the model group – outperforming ferrous pyrophosphate. CONCLUSION: These findings validate EYPP‐Fe as a promising iron supplement candidate with enhanced stability and bioavailability, offering a viable solution for IDA mitigation. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Our previous study suggested that increasing the phospholipid‐to‐cholesterol intake ratio might mitigate the negative effects of cholesterol intake, based on a comparison of lipid metabolism changes in mice fed chow diets containing egg yolk low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL). This benefit might stem from the involvement of phospholipids, leading to reduced food efficiency, decreased body weight, and increased bile acid excretion. In this study, we further investigated the effects of this ratio on lipid metabolism under a high‐fat diet (HFD) using egg yolk LDL and HDL, which differ in the proportions of phospholipids and cholesterol. Both LDL and HDL intake led to increased body weight and adipose tissue weight in mice, with significant effects observed in the HFD‐LDL3 group. Accordingly, these groups exhibited overall increases in food efficiency. Lipid biomarkers indicated that both LDL and HDL intake significantly elevated plasma and liver triglyceride (TG) levels. Cholesterol in the blood might be stored with TGs in adipose tissue. No significant differences were observed in lipid biomarkers between the HFD‐LDL and HFD‐HDL groups under the same cholesterol dose. Western blot results showed upregulated cholesterol synthesis following LDL and HDL intakes. Bile acid excretion also increased, though not significantly. Fecal metabolite analysis further revealed changes in polyunsaturated fatty acids, pregnane‐type steroids, and bile acids. Compared to our previous findings, increasing the phospholipid‐to‐cholesterol intake ratio under an HFD had a weaker beneficial effect on lipid metabolism than under a chow diet, possibly due to the lower proportion of phospholipids in the total lipids.

Egg yolk is a highly nutritious and multifunctional ingredient widely used in food industries. However, freezing‐induced gelation poses a significant challenge in the storage and processing of frozen egg yolk, leading to irreversible textural changes and limited industrial applications. This study investigated the synergistic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of heat‐assisted thawing, as well as the addition of erythritol, on the rheological properties of egg yolk. The results indicated that the frozen egg yolk liquid thawed at 50°C exhibited the optimal fluidity, as demonstrated by a 133% increase in the flow index, when compared to that thawed at 25°C. The 50°C also thawed sample displayed smaller particle size and weaker intermolecular interactions, indicating that accelerated heating could effectively prevent the freezing gelation of egg yolk. The incorporation of erythritol could further suppress the freeze gelation of frozen egg yolk liquid, served to decrease the melting point of egg yolk (thereby further inhibiting recrystallization behavior) and weaken the hydrogen bond interactions among egg yolk protein molecules. The results were meaningful for providing guidance for the production of frozen egg yolk with good fluidity and functionality.

L‐alpha‐glycerylphosphorylcholine (L‐α‐GPC), commonly referred to as glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) or choline alfoscerate, is a choline‐containing compound widely found in nature, predominantly in its L configuration. Due to its high choline content (41% by weight) and ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, GPC is considered one of the most utilized sources of choline. GPC, as a cholinergic compound with diverse applications across food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, faces limitations due to its restricted natural availability. This review aims to bridge this gap by providing a comprehensive summary of the latest preparation techniques of GPC for food scientists, pharmacists, and the food and pharmaceutical industries. The review also highlights recent bioactivity evaluation results of GPC in animal models and human clinical tests, with a focus on cognitive dysfunction, cardiometabolic disorders, anti‐aging, and ergogenic effects. Finally, the review identifies existing knowledge gaps and proposes new research areas to promote the development of high value‐added and health‐promoting products containing GPC.

BACKGROUND: Egg proteins are of high quality with excellent gelation properties. This study explored how neutral protease hydrolysis (400, 800, 1200 U g⁻¹) and heating time (10, 20 min) affect whole egg liquid (WEL) gelation, focusing on protein solubility, intermolecular interactions and gel structure changes for food applications.RESULTS: Enzymatic hydrolysis significantly increased the degree of hydrolysis, with higher enzyme dosage (up to 1200 U g⁻¹) leading to enhanced protein solubility (from 81.09% to 93.21%) and reduced average particle size (from 476 to 80 nm). Texture analysis showed that higher enzyme levels reduced the breaking force and distance to rupture, while prolonged heating time (20 min) could increase breaking force, such as increasing the 1200 U g⁻¹ sample from 17.4 to 23.27 g. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that enzymatic hydrolysis raised β‐sheet content (from 43.62% to 43.98%) but reduced β‐turn, whereas prolonged heating shifted β‐sheet to β‐turn. Intermolecular force analysis indicated dominant hydrophobic interactions in control gels, while enzymatically treated gels exhibited increased ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that enzymatic hydrolysis and longer heating produced denser, more uniform gel networks.CONCLUSION: Protease hydrolysis and heating time greatly modulate WEL gel properties. Enzymatic treatment makes gels softer, while longer heating improves hardness and microstructure. These findings can guide tailoring of WEL gel properties for industrial uses like custards by optimizing conditions. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ovotransferrin (OVT) is very rich in nutritional value and possesses a variety of biological activities. However, there is a lack of suitable OVT extraction methods that are simple and suitable for large-scale production. For this reason, this study explored a new method of ovalbumin OVT extraction based on mesophilic treatment. The effects of different heat treatment conditions on the physicochemical properties and bioactivities of the prepared OVT and their influence mechanisms were investigated. The results showed that OVT could be efficiently extracted from egg white by moderate heat treatment. Based on single factor experiments, response surface methodology was used to determine the effects of heat treatment time, temperature and pH on the extraction rate of OVT. The yield was 93.65 ± 0.53% under the optimal extraction conditions (62.5 °C, 75 min, pH 8). SDS-PAGE and FT-IR showed that changes in the influencing factors during heating had different effects on OVT. In addition, different extraction parameters had different effects on the iron-binding and antioxidant capacities of OVT. This study provides a fast and efficient preparation method for OVT from egg white, which lays the foundation for the wide application of OVT.