[Study on degradation of protein of the edible birds' nest (Aerodramus) in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the digestion of Bird's nest extract (BNE) in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). METHODS: BNE were prepared and digested at 37 degrees C in SGF/SIF. At intervals of 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 min,the samples were taken out. Protein contents were determined by the method of Bradford, and digestion of BNE in SGF/SIF was observed according to the results of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). RESULTS: On SDS-PAGE,the crude BNE and the BNE in SGF/SIF gave different patterns, but all being rich in high molecular weight protein. After digestion in vitro, most of protein degraded to 40 kD below, but part of high molecular weight protein was stable, and a protein of 70 kD added. CONCLUSION: Most protein degraded to polypeptide, but there was anti-digest protein in the BNE, all being the high molecular weight protein. This suggested that the active component from BNE was probably exerted directly on human body.