LAUSR

BACKGROUND Glycosylation is an effective method to modify protein. However, there is a lack of study on the property changes of glycosylated protein during storage. In the present study, the changes in the physicochemical, functional, and structural properties of xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) glycosylated egg white powder (EWP) (XOS-EWP conjugates) prepared with different glycosylation conditions (XOS/EWP ratio and reaction time) were investigated when stored at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity. RESULTS In the 12 weeks of storage, the degree of grafting, browning, and the formation of Maillard reaction products of XOS-EWP conjugates increased. The increase in XOS/EWP and reaction time led to an increase in protein aggregation, while a decrease in solubility, due to increased degree of glycosylation and structural changes. Furthermore, improved gel hardness of XOS-EWP conjugates deteriorated, while improved emulsification ability kept stable during storage. For the sample with less XOS/EWP ratio and reaction time, the gel hardness and emulsifying properties underwent little or no deterioration even improved during storage. The results could be attributed to the limited degree of glycosylation, further unfolding of the protein structure, increased surface hydrophobicity of protein, and improved thermal characteristics. CONCLUSION During storage, the Maillard reaction would continue to occur in the glycosylated EWP, further affecting the performance of modified EWP. Modified EWP prepared under different glycosylation conditions performed differently during storage. Modified EWP with more XOS/EWP ratio and reaction time was hard to maintain good performance. Modified EWP with less XOS/EWP ratio and reaction time changed significantly to better performances. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.