A controlled hydrolysis strategy based on spatial confinement for enhancement of egg white protein foam properties

Egg white protein is widely utilized in the food industry, particularly in aerated confectionery, owing to its excellent foaming properties. However, foam, as a highly unstable thermodynamic system, inevitably undergoes collapse, severely compromising the production quality of related food products. In this study, magnetic inorganic-organic hybrid biomimetic mineralized immobilized papain with zinc phosphate as the inorganic component were synthesized by self-assembly method, exhibiting a 300 % higher relative activity compared to free enzymes. The molecular weight distribution of hydrolyzed protein was precisely regulated by the space selective catalysis of immobilized papain, and the foaming properties of hydrolyzed protein were significantly improved. The foaming capability was increased by approximately 200 %, and the foam demonstrated exceptional stability, maintaining its volume unchanged for 3 h.