Changes in physico-chemical properties, microstructure, protein structures and intermolecular force of egg yolk, plasma and granule gels during salting

Changes in physico-chemical properties, microstructure, protein structures and intermolecular force of egg yolk, plasma and granule gels during salting were investigated, using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemical analysis. The results showed that the contents of soluble protein and free sulfhydryl increased and, with D2O treatment, T21 and T22 decreased in egg yolks and plasma salted for 2 d. The particles of egg yolks, plasma and granules in the later stage of salting were disrupted and they liberated their constituents (phospholipids, neutral lipids and proteins), which randomly aggregated. The treatment with NaCl changed the spatial structure of egg yolk proteins. The results suggested that the oil exudation of salted egg yolks was mainly due to structural changes in the low-density lipoproteins. Granules were shown to contribute to the higher hardness and gelation of salted egg yolks.