Effect of pre-freezing and accelerated thawing on frozen egg yolk gelation behavior revealing the molecular mechanism

IF 3.5 2区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1002/jsfa.14197

Cuihua Chang, Junhua Li, Yi Wang, Zhen Wei, Yujie Su, Luping Gu, Yanjun Yang

{"title":"Effect of pre-freezing and accelerated thawing on frozen egg yolk gelation behavior revealing the molecular mechanism","authors":"Cuihua Chang, Junhua Li, Yi Wang, Zhen Wei, Yujie Su, Luping Gu, Yanjun Yang","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.14197","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> BACKGROUD</h3>\n \n <p>Freezing is a commonly used method to prolong the storage duration of egg yolk, which induces irreversible gelation after being stored below −6 °C. The present study examined the effects of pre-freezing and thawing conditions on the gelation of egg yolk liquid, accessing its rheological properties, molecular structure and water mobility.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> RESULTS</h3>\n \n <p>The results indicated that pre-freezing at −40 °C for 7 days followed by storage at −18 °C was a cost-effective method, with the consistency coefficient being decreased by approximately 30% compared to that of egg yolk liquid frozen directly at −18 °C. Pre-freezing was beneficial in generating smaller ice crystals, preventing the protein denaturation and aggregation caused by mechanical damage from larger ice crystals, and reducing the loss of protein molecular bound water. On the other hand, thawing in a 50 °C water bath was found to be the most effective method. The consistency coefficient of egg yolk liquid pre-freezed at −40 °C for 3 days and then thawed at 50 °C decreased by 73% compared to the sample directly frozen at −18 °C and then thawed at room temperature. The increase in fluidity of egg yolk after freezing was related to protection of bonding water and less cross-linking, as verified by the higher content of <i>β</i>-sheet and smaller particle size.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> CONCLUSION</h3>\n \n <p>The pre-freezing process promoted the formation of a greater number of small ice crystals, which mitigated the mechanical damage to proteins and the consequent denaturation and aggregation. Additionally, thawing at elevated temperatures could effectively avoid recrystallization, protecting proteins from denaturation and aggregation, leading to a further reduction in gel strength and an increase in fluidity. The findings of the present study contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing egg yolk gelation and offer insights into the development of enhanced freezing and thawing techniques for egg yolk. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":"105 7","pages":"3557-3565"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.14197","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

BACKGROUD

Freezing is a commonly used method to prolong the storage duration of egg yolk, which induces irreversible gelation after being stored below −6 °C. The present study examined the effects of pre-freezing and thawing conditions on the gelation of egg yolk liquid, accessing its rheological properties, molecular structure and water mobility.

RESULTS

The results indicated that pre-freezing at −40 °C for 7 days followed by storage at −18 °C was a cost-effective method, with the consistency coefficient being decreased by approximately 30% compared to that of egg yolk liquid frozen directly at −18 °C. Pre-freezing was beneficial in generating smaller ice crystals, preventing the protein denaturation and aggregation caused by mechanical damage from larger ice crystals, and reducing the loss of protein molecular bound water. On the other hand, thawing in a 50 °C water bath was found to be the most effective method. The consistency coefficient of egg yolk liquid pre-freezed at −40 °C for 3 days and then thawed at 50 °C decreased by 73% compared to the sample directly frozen at −18 °C and then thawed at room temperature. The increase in fluidity of egg yolk after freezing was related to protection of bonding water and less cross-linking, as verified by the higher content of β-sheet and smaller particle size.

CONCLUSION

The pre-freezing process promoted the formation of a greater number of small ice crystals, which mitigated the mechanical damage to proteins and the consequent denaturation and aggregation. Additionally, thawing at elevated temperatures could effectively avoid recrystallization, protecting proteins from denaturation and aggregation, leading to a further reduction in gel strength and an increase in fluidity. The findings of the present study contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing egg yolk gelation and offer insights into the development of enhanced freezing and thawing techniques for egg yolk. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

查看原文

微信好友朋友圈 QQ好友复制链接

本刊更多论文

预冻和加速解冻对冷冻蛋黄凝胶行为的影响及其分子机制。

背景：冷冻是一种常用的延长蛋黄保存时间的方法，蛋黄在-6℃以下储存后会发生不可逆的凝胶化。本研究考察了预冻和解冻条件对蛋黄液凝胶化的影响，获得了蛋黄液的流变性能、分子结构和水的流动性。结果：-40℃预冻7 d后-18℃保存是一种性价比较高的方法，与直接在-18℃冷冻的蛋黄液相比，稠度系数降低了约30%。预冻有利于形成较小的冰晶，防止较大冰晶的机械损伤引起的蛋白质变性和聚集，减少蛋白质分子结合水的损失。另一方面，在50°C水浴中解冻被发现是最有效的方法。在-40℃预冻3 d后在50℃解冻的蛋黄液的稠度系数比直接在-18℃冷冻后室温解冻的样品降低了73%。冷冻后蛋黄流动性的增加与保护结合水和减少交联有关，β-片含量较高，颗粒尺寸较小。结论：预冻过程促进了大量小冰晶的形成，减轻了蛋白质的机械损伤和由此引起的变性和聚集。此外，在高温下解冻可以有效地避免再结晶，保护蛋白质不变性和聚集，导致凝胶强度进一步降低，流动性增加。本研究结果有助于更好地了解蛋黄凝胶化的影响因素，并为蛋黄强化冷冻和解冻技术的发展提供见解。©2025化学工业协会。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文去求助

来源期刊

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 工程技术-农业综合

CiteScore

8.10

自引率

4.90%

发文量

634

审稿时长

3.1 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture publishes peer-reviewed original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives and spotlights in these areas, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary studies at the agriculture/ food interface. Published for SCI by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) is a unique international forum where science meets business on independent, impartial ground. Anyone can join and current Members include consumers, business people, environmentalists, industrialists, farmers, and researchers. The Society offers a chance to share information between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, materials, chemicals, environmental science and safety. As well as organising educational events, SCI awards a number of prestigious honours and scholarships each year, publishes peer-reviewed journals, and provides Members with news from their sectors in the respected magazine, Chemistry & Industry . Originally established in London in 1881 and in New York in 1894, SCI is a registered charity with Members in over 70 countries.