From Nutrition to Innovation: Biomedical Applications of Egg Components

Valued for their nutritional content, eggs have recently gained attention as a versatile biomaterial owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and unique structural and biochemical composition. This review highlights the biomedical potential of various egg components-eggshell, eggshell membrane, egg white, and egg yolk-and their applications in bone grafting, tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and biosensors. Eggshells serve as a natural, calcium-rich source for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The eggshell membrane, with its antimicrobial and structural properties, offers promise as a wound healing scaffold. Egg white, known for its gelation and film-forming capabilities, is utilized in hydrogel-based systems for drug delivery and biosensing. Egg yolk, rich in lipids and immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibodies, is being explored for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This review critically examines the advantages and limitations of each egg-derived component and outlines current research gaps, offering insights into future directions for the development of egg-based biomaterials in biomedical engineering.