Egg white proteins
Nutraceutical and pharmaceutical agents
Isolation of egg white proteins
Egg white contains proteins with various biological characteristics, such as antimicrobial, iron-binding, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and vitamin-binding activities.
Our ChimerAds technology is used for gentle one-step separation of the three very interesting heat-sensitive proteins ovotransferrin, lysozyme and avidin (see blue boxes), and ovalbumin – the latter as a heat-resistant liquid egg white product to be used as a functional food ingredient.
Ovotransferrin
Ovotransferrin is a 77.7 kDa glycoprotein that constitutes 12 % of the total egg white protein. Ovotransferrin belongs to the transferrin protein family, and just like the homologous mammalian lactoferrin, it is a significant part of the chicken egg’s innate antimicrobial defense system against pathogens. As such, it may be used as a substitute for lactoferrin.
Lysozyme
Lysozyme has a molecular weight of 14,4 kDa and constitutes approximately 3,5 % of the total egg white protein. The antimicrobial action of lysozyme has been used in food (e.g. cheese and wine) and in pharmaceutical products, where lysozyme is used for protection against bacterial, viral and inflammatory agents.
Avidin
Avidin is a tetrameric 66-69 kDa glycoprotein which makes up approximately 0.05 % of total egg white protein. This antimicrobial protein binds biotin (Vitamin B7) with very high affinity, a property making it a powerful tool in a wide variety of applications in biochemical assays, affinity purification, diagnosis, and drug delivery.
Ovalbumin
Our separation method for separation of ovotransferrin, lysozyme and avidin is very gentle and leaves the highly purified and heat-resistant ovalbumin intact, so that it can be used as a functional protein ingredient, e.g. in liquid egg white formulations that can be pasterurized.