Characterization of high-pressure-treated egg albumen.

Addition of NaCl or sucrose to egg albumen prior to high-pressure treatment (up to 10 min at 800 MPa) prevented insolubilization or gel formation after pressure treatment. As a consequence of protein unfolding, the treated albumen had increased viscosity but retained its foaming and heat-gelling properties. Susceptibility of egg albumen proteins to hydrolysis by trypsin increased dramatically after pressure treatment. The S-form of ovalbumin, the presence of which is an index of egg aging, was not found in any of the pressure-treated samples, which also did not display evidence for covalent protein aggregation. However, recognition of ovalbumin by an anti-ovalbumin antiserum was reduced to 40% of that of untreated sample.