Food and Fermentation Industries >

2026 , Vol. 52 >Issue 17: 243 - 252

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.047012

Effects of thermal treatment on gel-to-sol transition of edible bird’s nest proteins and quality of its instant product

  • CHEN Rongfen ,
  • ZHANG Wenbin
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  • (School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China)

Received date: 2026-04-20

  Revised date: 2026-05-06

  Online published: 2026-09-21

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Abstract

Edible bird's nest (EBN) requires boiling prior to consumption, and its morphology, structure and texture are significantly influenced by thermal processing.This study investigated the gel-to-sol transition of EBN proteins and the digestive properties of instant EBN as a function of boiling duration (0-120 min).The results showed that the swelling ratio reached a peak of 241.38% at 25 minutes of boiling.During this period, EBN proteins were fully unfolded, with the β-sheet content increasing from 48.36% to 52.48%.Hydrophilic binding sites (e.g., serine and threonine residues) were exposed, leading to the formation of a hydrated gel network through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions.Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of instant EBN exhibited uniform and dense pores, resulting in a maximum rehydration ratio of 31.37-fold and the softest texture.After 30 minutes of heating, electrophoresis indicated the onset of protein aggregation.Continued heating from 40 to 120 minutes caused peptide bond cleavage and degradation of structural proteins, inducing a transition from a hydrogel to a liquid sol, accompanied by a decrease in the swelling ratio and significant deterioration in rehydration ratio and hardness of the instant product.Simulated gastric digestion confirmed that the 25 min treatment group exhibited the most balanced protein release (2.62 mg/mL) and solid retention (10.53%).In contrast, instant EBN prepared with prolonged boiling still maintained larger molecular weight protein subunits after digestion, indicating low digestive utilization.This study elucidates the solation process of EBN proteins from gel network formation to thermal degradation of peptide chains, providing a theoretical basis for the development of instant EBN products and the thermal processing of protein-rich gel foods.

Key words： edible bird's nest; protein gel; heat treatment; microstructure

Cite this article

CHEN Rongfen , ZHANG Wenbin . Effects of thermal treatment on gel-to-sol transition of edible bird’s nest proteins and quality of its instant product[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2026 , 52(17) : 243 -252 . DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.047012

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