Characteristics of hen egg white lysozyme, strategies to break through antibacterial limitation, and its application in food preservation: A review

Abstract

Hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) is used as a food additive in China due to its outstanding antibacterial properties. It is listed as GRAS grade (generally recognized as safe) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA, US) and has been extensively researched and used in food preservation. And the industrial production of HEWL already been realized. Given the complex food system that can affect the antibacterial activity of HEWL, and the limitations of HEWL itself on Gram-negative bacteria. Based on the structure and main biological characteristics of HEWL, this paper focuses on reviewing methods to enhance the stability and antibacterial properties of HEWL. Immobilization tactics such as chemically driven self-assembly, embedding and adsorption address the restriction of poor HEWL antibacterial activity effected by external factors. Both intermolecular and intramolecular modification strategies break the bactericidal deficiencies of HEWL itself. It also comprehensively analyzes the current application status and future prospects of HEWL in the food preservation. There was limited research on the biological methods in modifying HEWL. If the HEWL is genetically engineered, it can broaden its antimicrobial spectrum, improve its other biological activities, so as to further expand its application in the food industry. At present, research on HEWL mainly focused on its antibacterial properties, whereas its application in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects also presented great potential.