Improvement of gel properties of dried egg white by modification with galactomannan through the Maillard reaction

The effects of Maillard reaction on gel properties of dried egg white (DEW) with galactomannan (GM) were investigated. Maillard-reacted DEW (MDEW) was prepared by dry-heating a mixture with a weight ratio of 1:4 of GM to DEW at 60 degreesC and 65% relative humidity. The modification of amino groups and polymerization of DEW proteins dry-heated with GM proceeded with increasing the dry-heating time. The covalent attachment of GM to DEW was confirmed from SDS-PAGE analysis. Gel strength and water-holding capacity of MDEW gels were higher than those of DEW dry-heated without GM (control DEW) and reached maximum after 3 days of dry-heating. The appearance of MDEW gels became transparent with increasing the dry-heating time, but control DEW gels were still turbid. MDEW dry-heated for 3 days was almost soluble even after heating of its solution at 90 degreesC, whereas control DEW proteins precipitated. The modification of DEW with GM through the Maillard reaction was an effective method to make a firm and transparent gel from DEW at broader range of pH and NaCl concentration of the medium.