Ovalbumin-Rutin complexes as hypoallergenic foaming agents: A dual-effect strategy for protein modification

This study aimed to overcome two inherent limitations of ovalbumin (OVA), specifically its high allergenicity and limited foaming properties, through the formulation of OVA-rutin complexes. Various modification levels of OVA-Rutin complexes were successfully produced, as confirmed by polyphenol binding equivalents and amino acid residues changes. Multispectral analyses collectively demonstrated that rutin promoted structural loosening in OVA and improved its molecular flexibility. At an OVA-Rutin ratio of 1:0.4, the IgE binding capacity diminished by 35.70%. Meanwhile, the system exhibited superior Fe 2+ chelation ability (50.88±0.31%), DPPH radical scavenging capability (67.18±2.25%) and ABTS radical scavenging ability (87.23±0.50%). The combination of rutin and OVA significantly increased foaming ability by 75.56-155.24% and foaming stability by up to 1.32-fold. This improved foam performance was attributed to the desirable air-water interfacial activity and rearrangement capacity of the OVA-Rutin complexes. These findings provide an effective strategy for simultaneously enhancing foaming properties of OVA and mitigating its allergenicity.