Egg white hardens (gels) when heated, but its compressive strength is low and it is difficult to use as a material for material development.In 2016, the research group was developing a technology to instantly condense proteins in water by adding a unique ionic surfactant.

This time, when an anionic surfactant and a cationic surfactant are added to the egg white protein at a constant ratio, a transparent liquid substance (egg white protein condensate) containing the protein involved in the gelation phenomenon becomes water. Occurs separately from the phase.It was found that proteins were accumulated at regular intervals inside.

Next, when the egg white protein condensate is heated at 70 degrees, it becomes white and opaque, and this substance is a hydrogel (egg white protein condensate gel) containing 80% water inside, and because it was decomposed by a proteolytic enzyme. It was confirmed that it is a biodegradable (degraded by microorganisms) substance in which a network structure consisting of proteins is formed.

The egg white protein condensed gel produced this time is soft enough to be crushed to a thickness of 17/1, but it is more than 150 times stronger than normal boiled egg white (equivalent to 1 ton of pressure on a 1-yen coin). rice field.It was confirmed that the strength of the substance produced from egg white is the highest in the world, and the strength is not inferior to that of the high-strength hydrogel material produced by chemical synthesis.

The results of this research are new functional materials with practical strength, such as medical materials that use protein as a material and are absorbed after a certain period of time without remaining in the body, and foods with a new texture. Expected to be applied to development.

Paper information:[NPG Asia Materials] Egg White-Based Strong Hydrogel via Ordered Protein Condensation