Ting Hun Lee

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is a valuable and nutritious food tonic made from the saliva of swiftlet birds. EBN has been consumed for centuries due to its high nutritional value. Proteins are the main nutrient in EBN. However, studies investigating the functional proteins in EBN are still limited. Therefore, the present study aims to characterize the functional proteins from EBN using proteomic-based techniques. In addition, the molecular characteristics of the functional proteins were analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The results showed that 0.951 ± 0.03 mg/mL of functional proteins were successfully extracted from the EBN. Several distinct protein bands in the range of 35–135 kDa were profiled from the EBN. Using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS-MS), a total of 51 proteins were identified from the EBN. The protein sequences were processed in the BIOPEP database to predict the potential biological activity of EBN proteins. The prediction results suggest that EBN proteins potentially possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory, antiamnestic, antihypertensive (angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors), antidiabetic (alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, alpha-amylase inhibitors, dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors), and antithrombotic properties. The antioxidant properties (DPPH-scavenging activity (20.84% ± 3.43) and ABTS-scavenging activity (31.49% ± 1.66)) and anti-inflammatory properties (inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production (21.30% ± 4.41) and inhibition of albumin denaturation (25.30% ± 0.32)) were experimentally validated. In conclusion, the results suggest that functional proteins from EBN are potentially functional ingredients in the nutraceutical and food industries.

Fresh fruits and vegetable products are easily perishable during postharvest handling due to enzymatic browning reactions. This phenomenon has contributed to a significant loss of food quality and appearance. Thus, a safe and effective alternative method from natural sources is needed to tackle enzymatic browning prevention. The capabilities of natural anti-browning agents derived from plant- and animal-based resources in inhibiting enzymatic activity have been demonstrated in the literature. Some also possess strong antioxidants properties. This review aims to summarize a recent investigation regarding the use of natural anti-browning extracts from different sources for controlling the browning. The potential applications of genome-editing in preventing browning activity and improving postharvest quality is also discussed. Moreover, the patents on the anti-browning extract from natural sources is also presented in this review. The information reviewed here could provide new insights, contributing to the development of natural anti-browning extracts and genome-editing techniques for the prevention of food browning.