Changes in the Antigenicity of Chicken Egg White by the Treatments of Protease, Trifluoromethanesulfonic Acid, Heat, and NaOH

To reduce the antigenicity of egg white (EW), EW was treated with several proteolytic enzymes, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), heat, and NaOH. Competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA), using rabbit anti-EW antibody, was performed to examine the antigenicity of the treated EW's. Enzymatic hydrolysis gave no good effect on the reduction of the antigenicity of EW. Neither did the pretreatment with before the hydrolysis reduce the antigenicity. TFMS treatment removed the antigenicity of EW. The antigenicity of EW heated at for 30 min or treated with NaOH at 0.3% (w/v) and more, decreased to less than 1/10,000 as compared with that of native EW. The combinatory treatment with NaOH, followed by heat at for 15 min had a synergic effect on the reduction of the antigenicity of EW.