Value-added applications of egg white proteins as functional food ingredients

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Egg white is used widely in the food industry for its exceptional foaming and gelling properties. Traditional food uses have reached its bottleneck and have failed to further enhance the profitability of the egg industry. As a high-quality protein source, egg white proteins are recognized as a rich source of bioactive proteins and bioactive peptides; knowing that egg is a natural reservoir of biologically active substances opens a new window for value-added utilization of egg white proteins.Ovotransferrin, accounting for about 12% of total egg white proteins, is a component of innate immunity. Using osteoblast cell (that forms new bone), our preliminary study showed that ovotransferrin improve the activity of osteoblast cell. The proposed work for ovotransferrin aims to study structure and functional activity of ovotransferrin in osteoclast cells and in an established ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. The ovotransferrin-depleted egg white will be used to prepare a hydrolysate; the proposed work also aims to prepare and characterize novel ovotransferrin-depleted egg white hydrolysate, and to establish its effectiveness on blood pressure lowering activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats as well as insulin sensitivity in a high-fat induced model. Giving the growing incidence of osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome including hypertension, the development of value-added applications of ovotransferrin and ovotransferrin-depleted egg white hydrolysate as functional food ingredients will result in significant public benefit for health care expenditure reduction, reinforce the positive image of egg as a healthy food, and support a sustainably growing Canadian egg industry at large by developing value-added ingredients for the rapidly expanding functional foods and nutraceuticals industry.