Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Author Spotlight: Improving the Production of Self-Assembling Fibers and Peptide Hydrogels for Superior Biocompatibility
Published on: September 6, 2024
Water distribution and moisture-absorption in egg-white derived peptides: Effects on their physicochemical,
Shuailing Yang1, Songyi Lin2, Haiqing Ye3
1College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; Institute for Innovative Development of Food Industry, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Abstract:
Three egg-white derived peptides (DHTKE, MPDAHL, and FFGFN) were characterized with hydrophilia and water distributions. The effect of moisture exposure on their properties at 75% relative humidity for 30 h were further investigated. LF-NMR tests revealed that strong bound-water (relaxation time < 10 ms) accounted for more than 80% of total water in peptides after moisture-absorption. The absorbed water led to the pH of three peptides increase, antioxidant activities in vitro decrease, and diverse changes in their functional group vibrations, molecular hydrophobicity, and phase transformation properties. Compared to dried samples, the hydrated-DHTKE was pyrolyzed and hydrated-MPDAHL was oxidized over 160 °C, while the glass transition, melting, and crosslink temperatures of FFGFN all decreased after moisture-absorption. Moreover, the results indicated that moisture-absorption in FFGFN powder enhanced the surface-hydrophobicity of FFGFN-hydrogel and accelerated its self-organizations. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of moisture-absorption effects on peptides, with these changes potentially impacting storage recommendations and scientific interpretations.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Organization
Protein Denaturation
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
Membrane Fluidity

