Obtaining Ingredients Based on Egg and Plant Protein Mixtures with High Functional and Technological Properties

Most people source protein from animal products such as eggs, meat, and dairy products. However, they are more expensive than plant sources of protein and their consumption can provoke severe allergic reactions. Enzymatic hydrolysis can reduce the allergenicity of egg white, which has the most balanced amino acid composition. The functional properties of egg white can be improved by mixing it with plant protein hydrolysates. This study aimed to select optimal conditions for obtaining mixtures of egg albumin and globulin hydrolysates with plant protein hydrolysates that would have a balanced amino acid composition, low allergenicity, and high functional and technol ogical properties. The study objects included chicken eggs (74% moisture, 11% crude protein), flax flour (7% moisture, 36% crude protein), corn flour (12% moisture, 8% crude protein), and oat flour (11% moisture, 11% crude protein). The Lowry method, Anson method, ion exchange chromatography, and the ELISA method were used to determine the amino acid composition, allergenicity, as well as functional and technological properties. Chymopsin was selected as the most effective enzyme for the proteolysis of egg protein isolates – at 50 U/g for globulin and 25 U/g for albumin. The globulin hydrolysates had lower water-holding, emulsifying, and foaming capacities compared to the non-hydrolyzed globulin isolate. The 60-min globulin hydrolysate had the highest fat-holding capacity. The albumin hydrolysates showed lower water-holding, fat-holding, emulsifying, and foaming capacities compared to the non-hydrolyzed albumin isolate. The 90-min albumin hydrolysate was found to be not allergenic. Its mixtures with oat, corn, and flax flour protein hydrolysates were analyzed to determine the ratio that would improve the mixture’s functional and technological properties. A 1:5 ratio of albumin hydrolysate and oat flour hydrolysate had higher fat-holding capacity; a 1:5 ratio of albumin hydrolysate and corn flour hydrolysate had higher water- and fat-holding capacities; and a 1:3 ratio of albumin hydrolysate and flax flour hydrolysate had higher emulsifying and fat-holdi ng capacities. The study proved that mixtures of egg albumin hydrolysates with plant protein hydrolysates have better functional properties, a balanced amino acid composition, and hypoallergenicity.