Effect of sodium alginate and egg white protein combinations on the functional properties and structures of chicken myofibrillar protein

Abstract

This research explored the influence of varying sodium alginate (SA) and egg white protein (EWP) ratios (1:2, 2:3, 1:1, 3:2, 2:1, v/v) on the structural and gel characteristics of chicken myofibrillar protein (MP) gels. The findings showed that containing SA and EWP significantly improved (P < 0.05) the water-holding capacity (up to 95.02 %) and whiteness of MP gels. With a 2:1 ratio of SA to EWP, the absolute value of zeta potential reached 17.3 mV, and the lowest cooking loss (16.98 %) was achieved, accompanied by a reduction in turbidity. The MP formulation incorporating a 2:1 ratio of SA to EWP demonstrated the highest hardness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and springiness (P < 0.05), as confirmed by the rheological analysis conducted under temperature sweep mode. As the SA content increased, there was a notable enhancement in both the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of MP gel, indicating a strengthened cross-linking effect within the MP protein gel. FTIR and SEM analyses revealed a transformation from α-helix to β-sheet and the formation of a more uniform and dense gel structure due to non-covalent interactions. Overall, MP incorporating SA/EWP at a 2:1 ratio (v/v) has preferable gel properties. This study could provide a theoretical reference to enhance the gel attributes of chicken meat products in the industry through the utilization of SA and EWP.