Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-gs9qr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T17:15:08.638Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The hen's egg yolk: a source of biologically active substances

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

C. Hartmann  and
M. Wilhelmson
C. Hartmann
Affiliation:
Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Funbo-Lövsta, 755 97 Uppsala
M. Wilhelmson
Affiliation:
Immunsystem I M S AB, Uppsala Science Park, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden
Get access

Abstract

The egg yolk contains several substances of potential therapeutic value, some of which are already used in commercial products. A number of scientific papers dealing with their properties and applications have been published. In this review we present some current and possible applications for egg yolk lipids, lipoprotein, phosvitin, sialic acid and antibodies (IgY). Moreover, we discuss the possibilities of increasing the yield of yolk and simultaneously the yield of these substances by both management and breeding approaches.

Keywords

Biologically active substancesbreedingegg yolkmanagement

Information

Type
Reviews
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 57 , Issue 1 , March 2001 , pp. 13 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ahn, D.U., Kim, S.M. and Shu, H. (1997) Effect of egg size and strain and age of hens on the solids content of chicken eggs. Poultry Science 76: 914–919Google Scholar
Akbar, M.K., Gavora, J.S., Friars, G.W. and Gowe, R.S. (1983) Composition of eggs by commercial size categories: effects of genetic group, age and diet. Poultry Science 62: 925–933Google Scholar
Albrighet, K.J., Gordon, D.T. and Cotterill, O.J. (1984) Release of iron from phosvitin by heat and food additives. Journal of Food Science 49: 78–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ambrosen, T. and Rotenberg, S. (1981) External and internal quality and chemical composition of hen eggs as related to age and selection for production traits. Acta Agriculturz Scandinavica 31: 139–152Google Scholar
Anthony, N.B., Dunnington, E.A. and Siegel, P.B. (1989a) Egg production and egg composition of parental lines and F1, and F2 of White Rock chickens selected for 56-day body weight. Poultry Science 68: 27–36Google Scholar
Anthony, N.B., Dunnington, E.A. and Siegel, P.B. (1989b) Composition of eggs from dwarf and normal chickens in lines selected for 56-day body weight. Poultry Science 68: 581–595Google Scholar
Barnes, D. and Sato, G. (1980) Methods of growth of cultured cells in serum-free medium. Analytical Biochemistry 102: 255–270CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campo, J.L. (1995) Comparative yolk cholesterol content in four Spanish breeds of hens, an F2, cross and a White Leghorn population. Poultry Science 74: 1061–1066CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chung, S.L. and Ferrier, L.K. (1995) Heat denaturation and emulsifying properties of egg yolk phosvitin. Journal of Food Science 60: 906–908CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunningham, D.L, Krueger, W.F., Fanguy, R.C. and Bradley, J.W. (1974) Preliminary results of bidirectional selection for yolk cholesterol level in laying hens. Poultry Science 53: 384–391Google Scholar
Fuji, D.K and Gospodarowicz, D. (1983) Chicken egg yolk-supplement medium and the serum-free growth of normal mammalian cells. In Vitro 19: 811–817CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gabrielska, J. and Gruszecki, W.I. (1996) Zeaxanthin (dihydroxy-β-carotene) but not β-carotene rigidifies lipid membranes: a H-NMR study of carotenoid-egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes. Biochimica Biophysica Acta 1285: 167–174CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gottstein, B. and Hemmler, E. (1985) Egg yolk immunoglobulin Y as an alternative antibody in the serology of echinococcsis. Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde 71: 273–276Google Scholar
Greengaard, O., Sentenac, A. and Mendelson, N. (1964) Phosvitin, the iron carrier in egg yolk. Biochimica Biophysica Acta 90: 406–407Google Scholar
Han, K.T., Sharar, S.R., Philips, M.L., Harlan, J.M. and Winn, R.K. (1995) Sialyl Lewis(x) oligosacharide reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rabbit ear. journal of Immunology 155: 4011–4015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartmann, C., Johansson, K., Strandberg, E. and Wilhelmson, M. (2000) One generation divergent selection on large and small yolk proportions in a White Leghorn line. British Poultry Science 41: 280–286Google Scholar
Hatta, H., Tsuda, K., Akachi, S., Kim, M., Yamamoto, T. and Ebina, T. (1993) Oral passive immunisation effect of anti-human rotavirus IgY and its behaviour against proteolytic enzymes. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry 57: 1077–1993CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hatta, H., Tsuda, K., Ozeki, M., Kim, M., Yamamoto, T., Otake, S., Hirasawa, H., Katz, J., Childers, N.K. and Michalek, S.M. (1997) Passive immunisation against dental plaque formation in humans: effect of a mouth rinse containing yolk antibodies (IgY) specific to Streptococcus mutans. Caries Research 31: 268–274CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hayden, F.G., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., Treanor, J.J., Flemming, D.M., Aoki, F.Y., Nicholson, K.G., Bohnen, A.M., Hirst, H.M., Keene, O. and Wightman, K. (1997) Efficacy and safety of the neuramidase inhibitor Zanamivir in the treatment of influenza virus infections. New England journal of Medicine 25: 874–880CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, A.T., Krueger, W.F. and Quisenberry, J.H. (1966) A biometrical evaluation of component parts of eggs and their relationship to other economically important traits in a strain of White Leghorns. Poultry Science 45: 1162–1185CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ikemori, Y., Kuroki, M., Peralta, R.C., Yokoyama, H. and Kodama, Y. (1992) Protection of neonatal calves against fatal enteric colibacillosis by administration of egg yolk powder from hens immunised with K99-pilliated enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. American Journal of Veterinary Research 53: 2005–2008CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Itoh, T., Munakata, K., Adachi, S., Hatta, H., Nakamura, T., Kato, T. and Kim, M. (1990) Chalaza and egg yolk membrane 'as excellent sources of sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) for industrial-scale preparation. Japanese Journal of Zootechnological Sciences 61: 277–282Google Scholar
Itzstein, M., Wu, W.-Y., Kok, G.B., Pegg, M.S., Dyason, J.C., Jin, B., Van Phan, T.,Smythe, M.L., White, H.F., Oliver, S.W., Colman, P.M., Varghese, J.N., Ryan, D.M., Wood, J.M., Bethel, R.C., Hotham, V.J., Cameron, J.M. and Penn, C.R. (1993) Rational design of uotent sialidase-based inhibitors of influenza virus replication. Nature 363: 418–423CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaffé, W.P. (1964) The relationship between egg weight and yolk weight. British Poultry Science 5: 295–298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, R.G., Ferris, A.M. and Lammi-Keefe, C.J. (1992) Lipids in human milk and infant formulas. Annual Review of Nutrition 12: 417–441CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jiang, Z., Ahn, D.U. and Sim, J.S. (1991) Effects of feeding flax and two types of sunflower seeds on fatty acid composition of yolk lipid classes. Poultry Science 70: 2467–2475Google Scholar
Juneja, L.R., Koketsu, M., Nishimoto, K., Kim, M., Yamamoto, T. and Itoh, T. (1991) Large scale preparation of sialic acid from chalaza and egg yolk membrane. Carbohydrate Research 214: 179–186CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Juneja, L.R., Sugino, H., Fujiki, M. and Yamamoto, T. (1991) Preparation of pure phospholipids from egg yolk. In: Egg Uses and Processing Technologies: New Developments (Sim, J.S. and Nakai, S., Eds), CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK, pp. 139–149Google Scholar
Juneja, L.R., Koketsu, M., Kawanami, H., Sasaki, K., Kim, M. and Yamamoto, T. (1994b) Large scale preparation of sialic acid and its derivatives from chalaza and delipidated egg yolk. In: Egg Uses and Processing Technologies: New Dvelopments (Sim, J.S. and Nakai, S., Eds), CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK, pp. 192–206Google Scholar
Kobayashi, K., Han, M., Watarai, S. and Yasuda, T. (1996) Availability of liposomes as drug carriers to the brain. Acta Medica Okayama 50: 67–72Google ScholarPubMed
Koketsu, M., Nitoda, T., Juneja, L.R., Kim, M., Kashimura, N. and Yamamoto, T. (1995) Sialyloligosacharides from egg yolk as an inhibitor of rotaviral infection. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 43: 858–861Google Scholar
Kreuzer, M., Jaenecke, D. and Flock, D.K. (1995) Variabilität funktioneller Eigenschaften von Eiklar und Dotter zwischen und innerhalb reiner Linien brauner Legehybriden. Archiu für Geflügelkunde 59: 82–88Google Scholar
Kuroki, M., Ohta, M., Ikemori, Y., Ictlo, F.C. Jr., Kobayashi, C., Yokoyama, H. and Kodama, Y. (1997) Field evaluation of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins specific for bovine rotavirus in neonatal calves. Archives of Virology 142: 843–851CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lakshmanan, N., Hawes, R.O. and Kling, L.J. (1992) Influence of ahemerallight:dark cycles on egg traits in brown egg pullets. Poultry Science 71: 565–569CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larsson, A. and Sjöqust, J. (1988) Chicken antibodies: a tool to avoid false positive results by rheumatoid factor, in latex fixation tests. Journal of Immunological Methods 108: 205–208Google Scholar
Larsson, A., Bålöw, R.-M., Lindahl, T.L. and Forsberg, P.O. (1993) Chicken antibodies: taking advantage of evolution – a review. Poultry Science 72: 1807–1812Google Scholar
Leclercq, B., Kouassi-Kouakou, J. and Simon, J. (1985) Laying performance, egg composition and glucose tolerance of genetically lean or fat-type breeders. Poultry Science 64: 1609–1616Google Scholar
Li, X., Nakano, T., Sunwoo, H.H., Paek, B.H., Chae, H.S. and Sim, J.S. (1998) Effects of egg and yolk weights on yolk antibody (IgY) production in laying chickens. Poultry Science 77: 266–270Google Scholar
Lin, C.H., Shimazaki, M., Wong, C.H., Koketsu, M. and Juneja, L.R. (1995) Enzymatic synthesis of a sialyl Lewis X dimer from egg yolk as an inhibitor of E-selectin. Bioorganic and Medical Chemistry 3: 1625–1630Google Scholar
Lu, C.L. (1987) Characterisation and a selected application of hen's phosvitin and egg yolk as a metal chelator antioxidant. Agriculture Food Science and Technology 47: 2699Google Scholar
Lu, C.L. and Baker, R.C. (1986) Characteristics of egg yolk phosvitin as an antioxidant for inhibiting metal-catalysed phospholipid oxidations. Poultry Science 65: 2065–2070CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, C.L. and Baker, R.C. (1987) Effect of pH and food ingredients on the stability of egg yolk phospholipids and the metal-chelator antioxidant activity of phosvitin. Journal of Food Science 52: 613–616Google Scholar
Marion, J. E., Woodroof, J.G. and Cook, R.E. (1964) Some physical and chemical properties of eggs from hens of five different stock. Poultry Science 44: 529–534Google Scholar
Marion, W.W., Nordskog, A.W., Tolman, H.S. and Forsythe, R.H. (1965) Egg composition as influenced by breeding, egg size, age and season. Poultry Science 43: 255–263Google Scholar
Marks, H.L. and Washburn, K.W. (1977) Divergent selection for yolk cholesterol in laying hens. British Poultry Science 2: 179–188Google Scholar
Masuda, Y., Kokubu, T., Yamashita, M., Ikeda, H. and Inoue, S. (1998) Egg phosphatidylcholine combined with vitamin B12, improved memory impairment following lesioning of nucleus basalis in rats. Life Sciences 62: 813–822Google Scholar
Mennicken, L., Preisinger, R. and Tholen, E. (1996) Breeding for higher egg solids. Proceedings of the XX World's Poultry Science CongressNew Delhi Volume 1, pp. 673–674Google Scholar
Miyoshi, S. and Mitsumoto, T. (1980) Selection for high and low yolk-albumen ratio in chickens II. The direct responses to selection on the yolk-albumen ratio for seven generations. Japanese Poultry Science 17: 219–227Google Scholar
Mroz, Z., Grela, E.R., Matras, J., Krasucki, W., Kichura, T. and Shipp, T.E. (1999) Passive protection of piglets against diarrhoea with specialised egg immunoglobulins (Protimax™) Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Conference of the Australian Pig Science Association, Adelaide, Manipulating Pig Production VII p. 238Google Scholar
Mulligan, M.S., Paulson, J.C., De Frees, S., Zheng, Z.L., Lowe, B. and Ward, P.A. (1993) Protective effects of oligosaccharides in P-selectin-dependent lung injury. Nature 364: 149–151Google Scholar
Murikami, H., Okazaki, Y., Yamada, K. and Omura, H. (1988) Egg yolk lipoprotein, a new supplement for growth of mammalian cells in serum-free medium. Cytotechnology 1: 159–169CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakama, A. and Yamada, A. (1993) Serum-free culture of human hepatoma Hep G2 cells with egg yolk low density lipoprotein. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry 57: 410–413Google Scholar
Nakamura, S., Ogawa, M., Nakai, S., Kato, A. and Kitts, D.D. (1998) Antioxidant activity of a Maillard-type phosvitin-galactomannan conjugate with emulsifying properties and heat stability. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 46: 3958–3963Google Scholar
Nelson, R.M., Cecconi, O., Roberts, W.G., Aruffo, A., Linhardt, R.J. and Bev-Ilacqua, M.P. (1993) Heparin oligosacharides bind L- and P-selectin and inhibit acute inflammation. Blood 82: 3253–3258Google Scholar
Petersen, J., Lüke, F. and Schaten-Romberg, M. (1986a) Untersuchungen zur Beleuchtung und Fütterung von Legehybriden verschiedener Herkünfte in der Aufzuchtperiode. Archiv für Geflügelkunde 50: 54–64Google Scholar
Petersen, J., Lüke, F., Ziegler, W. and Gerken, M. (1986b) Reaktion von früh-und spätreifen Legehybriden auf unterschiedliche Aufzuchtbehandlungen. Archiv für Geflügelkunde 50: 218–224Google Scholar
Prochaska, J.F., Carey, J.B. and Shafer, D.J. (1996) The effect of L-lysine intake on egg component yield and composition in laying hens. Poultry Science 75: 1268–1277Google Scholar
Rao, D.N.R. and Mahadevan, S. (1983) Comparative studies of protein components of hen's egg α- and β-lipovitellins. Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics 20: 244–348Google Scholar
Rodda, D.D., Friars, G.W., Gavora, J.S. and Meritt, E.S. (1977) Genetic parameter estimates and strain comparisons of egg compositional traits. British Poultry Science 18: 459–473Google Scholar
Ros, A.J. (1998) Anforderungen an die Eiqualität für die Weiterverarbeitung. Lohmann Information 3: 7–8Google Scholar
Rotenberg, S. and Sørensen, P. (1978) Lipids and proteins in eggs and blood serum from two strains of hens. Acta Agricultum Scandinavica 28: 255–261CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanada, J., Masuda, Y., Kamimura, N., Takahashi, M., Kitamura, Y., Yamashita, M. and Inoue, S. (1997) Clinical benefit of egg phosphatidylcholine combined with vitamin B12, on patients with dementia of Alzheimer type. Geriatric Medicine 35: 363–368Google Scholar
Sattar Kahn, M.A., Babiker, E.E., Azakami, H. and Kato, A. (1998) Effect of protease digestion and dephosphorylation on high emulsifying properties of hen egg yolk phosvitin. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 46: 4977–4981Google Scholar
Schauer, R. (1985) Sialic acids and their biological roles as masks. Trends in Biochemical Sciences pp. 357–360Google Scholar
Scheideler, S.E., Jaroni, D. and Froning, G. (1998) Strain and age effects on egg composition from hens fed diets rich in n-3 fatty acids. Poultry Science 77: 192–196CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheideler, S.E., Zhao, F. and Novak, C. (1999) Strain effects on egg components, quality and lipid composition on varying diets. Proceedings from the VIII Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg ProductsBologna Volume 2, pp. 101–106Google Scholar
Schimzu, M., Fitzsimmons, R.C. and Nakai, S. (1988) Anti-E. coli immunoglobulin Y isolated from egg yolk of immunised chickens as a potential food ingredient. Journal of Food Science 53: 1360–1366Google Scholar
Schneider, M. (1999) Egg lipids: processing and application. Proceedings from the Vlll Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg ProductsBologna Volume 2, pp. 381–385Google Scholar
Shafer, D.J., Carey, J.B., Prochaska, J.F. and Sams, A.R. (1998) Dietary methionine intake effects on egg component yield, composition, functionality and texture profile analysis. Poultry Science 77: 1056–1062CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shinohara, K., Fukishima, T., Suzuki, M., Tsutsumo, M., Koborl, , and Kong, Z.L. (1993) Effect of some constituents of chicken egg yolk lipoprotein on the growth and IgM production of human-human hybridoma cells and other human derived cells. Cytotechnology 11: 149–154Google Scholar
Sim, J.S. (1994) New extraction and fractionation method from lecithin and neutral oil from egg yolk. In: Egg Uses and Processing Technologies – New Developments (Sim, J.S. and Nakai, S., Eds), CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK, pp. 128–138Google Scholar
Sotherland, P.R. and Rahn, H. (1987) On the composition of bird eggs. The Condor 89: 48–65Google Scholar
Sugino, H., Ishikawa, M., Nitoda, T., Koketsu, M., Juneja, L.R., Kim, M. and Yamamoto, T. (1997) Antioxidative activity of egg yolk lipids. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 45: 551–554Google Scholar
Sugita-Konishi, Y., Shibata, K., Yun, S.S., Hara-Kudo, Y., Yamaguchi, K. and Kumgai, S. (1996) Immune functions of immunoglobulin Y isolated from egg yolk of hens immunised with various infectious bacteria. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry 60: 886–888Google Scholar
Tawfik, E.S., Horst, P. and Petersen, J. (1981) Untersuchungen an Legehennen über genetische Fundierungen und Beziehungen von Legeleistung, Legereife, Körpergewicht und Kriterien der Eibeshaffenheit. Archiv für Geflügelkunde 45: 166–175Google Scholar
Timofeev, B.A., Bolotin, I.M., Stepanova, L.P., Bogdanov, A.A., Georgui, K., Malyshev, S.N., Petrovsky, V.V., Klibanov, A.L. and Torchilin, V.P. (1994) Liposomal diamidine (imidocarb): preparation and animal studies. Journal of Microencapsulation 11: 627–632Google Scholar
Tyurin-Kuz'min, A.Y. (1997) Properties of the biomembrane lipid phase optimisation to high pressure. Membrane and Cell Biology 11: 243–251Google Scholar
Whitehead, C. C., Bowman, A.S. and Griffin, H.D. (1991) The effects of dietary fat and bird age on the weights of eggs and egg components in the laying hen. British Poultry Science 32: 565–574Google Scholar
Wodall, A.A, Britton, G. and Jackson, M.J. (1997) Carotenoids and protection of phospholipids in solution or in liposomes against oxidation by peroxyl radicals: relationship between carotenoid structure and protective ability. Biochimica Biophysica Acta 1336: 575–586Google Scholar
Yamamoto, Y. and Omori, M. (1994) Antioxidative activity of egg yolk lipoproteins. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry 58: 1711–1713CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yamamoto, Y., Sogo, N., Iwao, R. and Miyamoto, T. (1990) Antioxidant effect of egg yolk on linolate emulsions. Agriculture and Biological Chemistry 54: 3099–3104Google Scholar
Yamamoto, Y., Omori, M. and Miyamoto, T. (1991) Antioxidant effect of egg yolk on linoleic acid and lard. Journal of Agriculture of Biological Chemistry 55: 2403–2404Google Scholar
Yang, J., Jin, Z., Yang, T., Wang, H. and Liu, L. (1997) The selective recognition of antibody IgY for digestive systems cancers. Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 13: 85–90Google Scholar
Zaky, H., Eichinger, H. and Pirchner, F. (1996) Genetic effects on fatty-acid composition of egg yolk. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 113: 201–208CrossRefGoogle Scholar