Oxidation-mediated structure and molecular interaction transformation of egg white protein: The underlying mechanism of functional properties and in vitro gastric digestibility improvement

In this paper, the effects of hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation on structural characteristics, molecular interaction, functional properties, especially in gastric digestibility of egg white protein (EWP) were investigated. Altogether, oxidation enhanced EWP foaming stability, accompanied with even and loose arrangement bubbles by high interfacial and rheological properties. Additionally, structure and morphology characterization of hydrolysates as well as digestion kinetics results indicated the oxidized EWP had greater digestion degree and rate to release more free amino acids, along with hydrolysates composed by smaller globules and fibers. Briefly, oxidation might improve EWP functional and gastric digestive properties by providing more flexible conformation and strengthening non-covalent interactions. This work might provide an enlightening insight for enhancing protein functional properties and the nutrition of EWP via prompting amino acids release for the healthy food design.