Search

There have been multiple types of research focusing on the relationship between feed ingredients and metal content in the egg white due to their role in human nutrition. The aim of the present study is to determine the metal concentration in hens' eggs and, in particular, to compare the metal concentration in egg albumen originating from industrial poultry farms with that of backyard and free-range hens. All samples were collected in Romania from five separate counties and 10 different farms, over a period of two weeks and, as a result, a total of 50 were collected, 10 from each housing system (batteries/cages, litter/soil, freerange, organic and backyard). The measurements of the metals were taken by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), with a wide range of elements reported. For the essential elements, we measured Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn; Al, Cd, Ni and Pb for the heavy metals and, in addition, we measured B, Ba, Sr, Ca and Mg. The present study revealed that the metals in eggs from free-range hens are richer in essential elements with mean concentrations as follows: 1.528 mg/kg for Fe, 3.278 mg/kg for Zn, 0.058 mg/kg for Mn and 1.362 mg/kg for Cu. We concluded that the egg quality is closely connected with the housing system and nutrition. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that eggs from backyard housing are no better than those from free-range hens in terms of essential metal composition. The heavy and non-essential metal contents, present in the albumen of all the examined eggs, were much lower than the maximum allowed concentration and, therefore, egg consumption does not pose any risk to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report the synthesis of CuxFe3‐xO4 nanoparticles (NPs) via a novel, facile, cost‐effective, and eco‐benign method using a water‐soluble egg‐white. The characterization studies confirmed that the fabricated CuxFe3‐xO4 NPs are crystalline and possess super‐paramagnetic behavior. The fabricated magnetic CuxFe3‐xO4 NPs also exhibited excellent catalytic performance towards the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde using tetra‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant under solvent‐free conditions. It was found that the addition of egg‐white during the synthesis significantly enhanced both the crystallinity and catalytic activity. Among the prepared ratios, Cu1.5Fe1.5O4 demonstrated the highest conversion (>73 %) and complete selectivity (100 %) to benzaldehyde under lenient oxidation conditions. The novelty of the work lies in achieving the magnetically recoverable CuxFe3‐xO4 NPs in the absence of any base or other organic reagents and is highly selective for the production of benzaldehyde under the mild reaction condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The mechanism of egg formation in the oviduct of laying hens is tightly controlled; each segment of the oviduct contributes a unique component of the egg. Several genes/proteins are involved in the synthesis of a completely healthy egg. This implies a time- and tissue-specific expression of genes and proteins in the different oviductal segments. We used hens at different physiological stages and time points to understand the transcriptional regulation of egg-white (albumen) synthesis and secretion onto the eggs in the magnum of laying hens. This study used Next-Generation Sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to detect the novel genes and the cognate biological pathways that regulate the major events during the albumen formation. Results Magnum tissues collected from laying (n = 5 each at 3 h post-ovulation, p.o. and 15–20 h p.o.), non-laying (n = 4), and molting (n = 5) hens were used for differential gene expression analyses. A total of 540 genes (152 upregulated and 388 down-regulated) were differentially expressed at 3 h p.o. in the magnum of laying hens. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways analysis of the 152 upregulated genes revealed that glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism was the most-enriched biological pathway. Furthermore, the top two most enriched keywords for the upregulated genes were amino-acid biosynthesis and proteases. Nine candidate genes associated with albumen formation were validated with qPCR to have differential expression in laying, non-laying, and molting hens. Proteases such as TMPRSS9, CAPN2, MMP1, and MMP9 (protein maturation, ECM degradation, and angiogenesis); enzymes such as PSPH, PHGDH, and PSAT1 (amino-acid biosynthesis); RLN3, ACE, and REN (albumen synthesis, secretion and egg transport); and AVD, AvBD11, and GPX3 (antimicrobial and antioxidants) were recognized as essential molecules linked to albumen deposition in the magnum. Conclusions This study revealed some novel genes that participate in the signaling pathways for egg-white synthesis and secretion along with some well-known functional genes. These findings help to understand the mechanisms involved in albumen biosynthesis.

The present study aims to design 3D scaffold hydroxyapatite (HA)/collagen (Coll) based egg‐white (EW) as antibacterial properties. The calcium source in HA synthesis derived from the Pinctada maxima shell cultivated on Bali Island has proven biocompatibility, and the compressive strength exceeded human bone. HA synthesis by precipitation with heat treatment in oven‐dried at 80°C (HA‐80) and annealed at 900°C (HA‐900), has crystallinity 48% and 85%, respectively, were used for scaffold design. The physicochemical properties of X‐ray diffractometer spectra showed that increasing temperature affected the crystallinity and HA phase formed. Furthermore, the crystal structure of HA changed in nanocomposite due to the substitution of Coll and EW, and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra confirmed that the absorption peak of the phosphate group (1027–1029 cm−1) decreased intensity, presumably by protein binding of EW and Coll. The cell viability of HA/Coll/EW in 24, 48, and 72 h incubation period was 112.34 ± 4.36, 104.89 ± 3.41, 72.88 ± 6.85, respectively. The decreases of cell viability due to high cell density and reduced nutrients in wells. Antibacterial activity of HA/Col/EW exhibited a strong zone of inhibition against bacteria causing periodontitis; Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Molecular studies of hen's egg allergens help define allergic phenotypes, with IgE to sequential (linear) epitopes on the ovomucoid (OVM) protein associated with a persistent disease. Epitope profiles of other egg allergens are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to construct an epitope library spanning across 7 allergens and further evaluate sequential epitope-specific (ses-)IgE and ses-IgG4 among baked-egg reactive or tolerant children. Methods: A Bead-Based Epitope Assay was used to identify informative IgE epitopes from 15-mer overlapping peptides covering the entire OVM and ovalbumin (OVA) proteins in 38 egg allergic children. An amalgamation of 12 B-cell epitope prediction tools was developed using experimentally identified epitopes. This ensemble was used to predict epitopes from ovotransferrin, lysozyme, serum albumin, vitellogenin-II fragment, and vitellogenin-1 precursor. Ses-IgE and ses-IgG4 repertoires of 135 egg allergic children (82 reactive to baked-egg, the remaining 52 tolerant), 46 atopic controls, and 11 healthy subjects were compared. Results: 183 peptides from OVM and OVA were screened and used to create an aggregate algorithm, improving predictions of 12 individual tools. A final library of 65 sequential epitopes from 7 proteins was constructed. Egg allergic children had higher ses-IgE and lower ses-IgG4 to predominantly OVM epitopes than both atopic and healthy controls. Baked-egg reactive children had similar ses-IgG4 but greater ses-IgE than tolerant group. A combination of OVA-sIgE with ses-IgEs to OVM-023 and OVA-028 was the best predictor of reactive phenotype. Conclusion: We have created a comprehensive epitope library and showed that ses-IgE is a potential biomarker of baked-egg reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mechanism of egg formation in the oviduct of laying hens is tightly controlled; each segment of the oviduct contributes a unique component of the egg. Several genes/proteins are involved in the synthesis of a completely healthy egg. This implies a time- and tissue-specific expression of genes and proteins in the different oviductal segments. We used hens at different physiological stages and time points to understand the transcriptional regulation of egg-white (albumen) synthesis and secretion onto the eggs in the magnum of laying hens. This study used Next-Generation Sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to detect the novel genes and the cognate biological pathways that regulate the major events during the albumen formation. Results: Magnum tissues collected from laying (n = 5 each at 3 h post-ovulation, p.o. and 15–20 h p.o.), non-laying (n = 4), and molting (n = 5) hens were used for differential gene expression analyses. A total of 540 genes (152 upregulated and 388 down-regulated) were differentially expressed at 3 h p.o. in the magnum of laying hens. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways analysis of the 152 upregulated genes revealed that glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism was the most-enriched biological pathway. Furthermore, the top two most enriched keywords for the upregulated genes were amino-acid biosynthesis and proteases. Nine candidate genes associated with albumen formation were validated with qPCR to have differential expression in laying, non-laying, and molting hens. Proteases such as TMPRSS9, CAPN2, MMP1, and MMP9 (protein maturation, ECM degradation, and angiogenesis); enzymes such as PSPH, PHGDH, and PSAT1 (amino-acid biosynthesis); RLN3, ACE, and REN (albumen synthesis, secretion and egg transport); and AVD, AvBD11, and GPX3 (antimicrobial and antioxidants) were recognized as essential molecules linked to albumen deposition in the magnum. Conclusions: This study revealed some novel genes that participate in the signaling pathways for egg-white synthesis and secretion along with some well-known functional genes. These findings help to understand the mechanisms involved in albumen biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw eggs were separated into yolks and whites before thermal treatment. An ohmic heating process at 20 kHz and 30 V was used for egg-yolk samples, and color changes were monitored with a computer vision system. Egg-white samples were treated with a water bath, and absorbance, as an expression of turbidity, was determined spectrophotometrically. Thermal protein denaturation of egg samples was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) using the dynamic method, and estimated for several thermal schedules by kinetics analysis. The DSC thermogram was characterized by two endothermic peaks in each sample. With increasing temperature, the yolk gradually turned from a plain orange to a vivid yellow color, while the white gradually changed from transparent to cloudy. For all samples, an accurate correlation was obtained between color changes and the non-denaturation ratio of the second peak temperature. Results are of potential value for the modeling and design of egg-based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of gamma irradiation treatment on the secondary structure of the whole egg-white proteins was investigated. Liquid, frozen, and dried egg-white samples were subjected to gamma irradiation doses of 0, 1, 2, and 3 kGy. Protein secondary structures were determined by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. In liquid egg-white samples, irradiation caused a conformational change from α-helix to disordered structure. Besides, a decrease in intermolecular β-sheet content was detected. On the other hand, no significant changes were observed in the secondary structure of frozen and dried egg-white samples. The significance of the results and their possible relationship to the viscosity decrease was also discussed. It was suggested that radiation-induced structural rearrangements may play a key role in the viscosity decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new sol–gel route using egg-white as the binder of metal ions, is developed to prepare hexagonal M-type SrFe 12 O 19 ferrite in this study, and the effects of different atomic ratio of Sr and Fe (Sr/Fe), sintering temperature ( T s ) and usage of egg-white ( M ew ) on the phase formation, morphology and magnetic properties of specimens are studied. It is found that the single-phase SrFe 12 O 19 ferrite only can be obtained under a Sr/Fe of 1:8 and a T s between 1000 °C and 1300 °C. The magnetic properties of specimens are also obviously affected by the different Sr/Fe and T s , primarily due to the emergency of impurities. The M ew has an obvious impact on the crystallinity of specimens, which consequently affects their magnetic properties. In our study, the optimum conditions to prepare the single-phase SrFe 12 O 19 ferrite are Sr/Fe=1:8, M ew = 3 g and T s =1200 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-crystalline ferrites with formula Ni 0.8 Zn 0.2 Cr x Fe 2− x O 4 ( x = 0.0–1.0) was synthesized using Egg-white auto-combustion method. An appropriate mechanism for complexation and ferrite formation was suggested. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and a.c. electrical conductivity measurements were utilized to study the effect of Cr-substitution and its impact on particle size and electro-magnetic properties of the investigated ferrite. X-ray diffraction revealed single-phase cubic structure. The decrease in lattice parameter with increasing chromium was discussed in the view of ionic radii. TEM exhibited cubic agglomerated crystals with sizes between 10 and 20 nm. The decrease in the saturation magnetization and coercivity estimated through VSM measurements with increasing Cr-content indicated the preferential occupation of Cr 3+ ions in the octahedral sites. Ac-conductivity measurements revealed semiconducting behavior of the entire investigated samples at high temperature and revealed a magnetic transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic for the samples with Cr-content up to 0.2. The conductivity values as well as the conduction activation energies indicated that the Cr 3+ ions do not participate in the conduction and thus limit the Fe 2 + –Fe 3+ conduction by blocking up Fe 2 + –Fe 3+ transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increase of distribution of environmental contaminants such as heavy metals have been caused the knowledge of the safety and hygiene of food is very important, especially eggs, because of its role in the daily diet. There are very few studies about the investigation of the heavy metal contents in egg-white. In this study, six heavy metals include Aluminium (Al), Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Antimony (Sb) in egg-white from 32 industrial poultry farms were investigated, by ICP-OES. All the samples were collected in all area of Markazi Province, Iran in autumn 2013. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in egg-white as follows: 0.119 for Al, 0.785 for As, 0.750 for Pb, 0.249 for Cd, 0.270 for Hg and 0.186 mg/kg for Sb. Also, the concentration of the some heavy metals were higher than maximum allowable concentration that probably it is associated to use pesticides and activities of industrial factories around the poultry farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nano-crystalline nickel–zinc ferrites of different compositions; Ni1−x Zn x Fe2O4 (x=0.0–1.0) were prepared by a precursor method involving egg-white and metal nitrates. An appropriate mechanism for the egg-white-metal complexation was suggested. Differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer and AC-magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out to investigate chemical, structural and magnetic aspects of Ni–Zn ferrites. XRD confirmed the formation of spinel cubic structure. The average crystallite size was calculated using line broadening in XRD patterns. Structural parameters like lattice constant, X-ray density, bond lengths and inter-cationic distance were determined from XRD data. TEM showed agglomerated particles with average size agreed well with that estimated using XRD. FT-IR spectra confirm the formation of spinel structure and further lends support to the proposed cation distribution. Zn-content was found to have a significant influence on the magnetic properties of the system. The changes in the magnetic properties can be attributed to the influence of the cationic stoichiometry and their occupancy in the specific sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nano-sized NiFe2−x La x O4 ferrites (x=0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.5, 0.07 and 0.09) were synthesized for the first time by using metal nitrate and egg-white extract in aqueous medium. The ferrites were characterized by DTA-TG, XRD, TEM, FT-IR and VSM techniques. The thermal decomposition behavior revealed that the precursors were completely decomposed at about 420°C. TEM image shows agglomerated nanoparticles with crystallite sizes agrees well with that estimated by XRD measurement. XRD patterns show a secondary phase of LaFeO3 besides the cubic structure of the La-substituted ferrites. The lattice parameters, X-ray density and crystallite size were found to increase with the increasing La content. The VSM measurement exhibited a ferromagnetic property for all the samples at room temperature. With increasing La, M s was found to decrease while H c increased. The decrease in the saturation magnetization is attributed to the paramagnetic properties of lanthanum, which prefer to substitute iron present in the octahedral sites. The increase in the coercivity is due to either the stronger magnetocrystalline anisotropy induced by La substitution or the change in the crystallite size. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Egg-white method was used to produce nanocrystalline Cr-substituted NiCuZn ferrites; Ni0.50Cu0.25Zn0.25Fe2−x Cr x O4 (0.0≤ x ≤1.0) from stoichiometric mixture of their respective metal nitrate. The structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the products were determined by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The average crystallite sizes obtained from XRD were between 15 and 25nm. Magnetization measurements indicated that when the Cr substitution increases the saturation magnetization decreases due to the magnetic character of the chromium ions which prefers octahedral site occupation. The coercivity was found to change proportionally with the particle sizes of the investigated ferrites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanocrystalline magnetic particles of Ni0.8− x Zn0.2Mg x Fe2O4 ferrites with x lying between 0.0 and 0.8 were synthesized using metal nitrates and freshly extracted egg-white. The synthesized powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With increasing magnesium concentration, the lattice constant increases while X-ray density decreases. The average crystallite size determined from XRD data using Scherrer formula lie in the range of 35–59nm. TEM image shows spherically agglomerated particles with average crystallite size agreed well with that obtained from XRD. Magnetic properties measured at room temperature by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) reveal a decrease in saturation magnetization up to Mg content of 0.6. In agreement with FT-IR results, the unexpected increase in the magnetization at Mg content of 0.8 can be attributed to the tendency of Mg2+ ions to occupy the tetrahedral site. The decrease in the value of coercivity with increasing magnesium content can be explained based on the magneto-crystalline anisotropy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the effect of copper substitution on the structural and magnetic properties in nano-crystalline ferrite series of nominal composition; Ni0.7−x Cu x Zn0.3Fe2O4 (where x =0.1–0.6) synthesized by a simple method using metal nitrates and freshly extracted egg-white. X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD) confirmed the formation of single-phase cubic spinel structure. The average crystallite size was calculated using XRD pattern and confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The nearly constant lattice parameters obtained with Cu substitution was attributed to the small difference in the ionic radius between Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions. FT-IR spectra showed two absorption bands assigned to the tetrahedral and octahedral complexes. The effect of Cu concentration on the magnetic properties was investigated using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and molar magnetic susceptibility measurements. The decrease in the saturation magnetization and the Curie temperature values with increasing Cu content was explained in terms of the magnetic moments and magnetic exchange interaction existing between the antiparallel uncompensated electron spin of A and B sublattices. The magnetic measurements also proved that the entire preparation method has a great effect on enhancing the magnetic properties of the system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, Magnesium Zinc Ferrite (MZF) nanoparticles (Mg 0.8-x Zn x Fe 2 O 4 , where x = 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) are successfully fabricated by combustion process. The prepared nanoparticles are characterized through XRD, FTIR, UV, SEM, EDS and TEM. It has been confirmed that the samples produced cubic spinel structure with crystal size in the range of 13–15 nm. From the ultraviolet spectrum, the optical band gap is calculated which ranges from 5.6 to 4.6 eV. TEM micrographs confirm the nanocrystalline nature of combustion derived ferrite nanoparticles with average particle diameter of 7–28 nm. Antibacterial studies confirmed that the nanoparticles are toxic to Pseudomonas aeruginosa consists of greatest zone of inhibition of 25 mm. The antibacterial and photocatalytic studies exhibited improved activity which is strongly influenced by the zinc doping. Photocatalytic degradation study reveal that the prepared nanoparticles function as perfect catalyst for degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye and Textile Dyeing Waste Water (TDWW) under UV light, thus revealing their potential usage on organic pollutants. • F and Sn simultaneously doped TiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol gel method. • Showed body centered tetragonal structure of anatase TiO 2 NPs. • Showed good antibacterial and antifungal activity. • Sn-F/TiO 2 NPs effectively degrade a thiazine dye at 90 min of UV and visible light irradiation. • Methylene blue was degraded under UV and visible light with an effective rate constant of 0.0345/min and 0.987/min respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the thermostabilization of ovotransferrin by anions for pasteurization of liquid egg white. One of the most important food material due to its useful functions which includes gelling and forming properties is egg white. Widely used in the food industry is the liquid egg white which needs to be pasteurized to reduce Salmonella enteritidis which causes food-poisoning in humans.

The use of lysozyme as a food preservative and the factors affecting lysozyme activity (temperature, chemicals, processing and complexes) is reviewed. Lysozyme inhibits the growth of deleterious organisms thus prolonging shelf life. Chemicals used to improve the preservative effect of lysozyme and those that inhibit the enzyme are discussed along with the stability of lysozyme in various chemical environments. Lysozyme has been used to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables, tofu bean curd, seafoods, meats and sausages, potato salad, cooked burdock with soy sauce, and varieties of semi-hard cheeses such as Edam, Gouda and some Italian cheeses. Lysozyme added to infant feeding formulae makes them more closely resemble human milk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Strong and weak cation exchange cryogels were prepared for the purify lysozyme from whole egg white. • The maximum lysozyme adsorption capacity onto poly(HEMA-GMA)-SO 3 H cryogel was 188.3 mg/g. • The extraction of lysozyme from egg-white was reached to 93.4% with strong cation cryogel. Here, the macroporous poly(hydroxylmethyl methacrylate/glycidyl methacrylate [p(HEMA-GMA)] cryogels with large porous surface were prepared, and then the epoxy groups of the p(HEMA-GMA) cryogels were systematically modified into strong and weak cationic groups. The effects of initial protein concentrations, adsorption time, pH, salt concentrations and temperatures on adsorption efficiency of cation exchange cryogels for lysozyme were determined. The maximum lysozyme adsorption capacities of strong and weak cation exchange cryogels were found to be 188.3 and 79.7 mg/g cryogel at 25 °C, respectively. The performance of the strong cationic cryogel was evaluated by purification of lysozyme from egg white. The activity of the isolated lysozyme was found to be 21,347 U/mg. The cationic cryogel maintained its expected high adsorption capacity and efficiency of the purification levels during repeated adsorption desorption processes. Finally, the purpose of this work is the design a cation exchange system for purification of lysozyme from egg-white. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]