Bioactive substances in eggs

The project "Innovative technology for producing specimens from a new generation of eggs" is being realized by a scientific consortium created by the Environment and the Medical Universities in Wrocław.

"The aim of the project is to introduce on to the market innovative products created from eggs of a new generation, including Biomedic preparations and diet supplements, that will prevent the development of lifestyle diseases" - said Prof. Tadeusz Trziszka from the Department of Food Sciences of the Wrocław Environment University, who is also the project manager.

According to the professor, eggs are the most perfect material for producing different specimens. "The simplest example- you just need to leave a fertilized egg in an incubator for 21 days, and after that an organism is ready for an independent life. This means that there are "life substances" in the egg, that thanks to adding some energy allows to create a new nature" - the scientist explains. Scientists from Wrocław want to isolate those substances from the egg, and examine how can they be used in our diet.

Eggs contain vitamins from the B, A and E groups, and also phospholipids, including lecithin, that can help improve our memory. "It is worth mentioning, that lecithin from plants like Soya, is not at all comparable to lecithin in the egg yolk. The lecithin from the yolk is rich in choline, polyunsaturated acids, especially arachidonic acid (AA), or the Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - an Omega 3 acid - explains the scientist. - These are life giving acids, without them the brain and heart cannot function properly".

Cystatin is a valuable compound found in the egg white. This is anti-microorganism compound, that can be used in fighting pathogenic fungus that attacks the skin. "Cystatin has also anti- cancer characteristics, these were confirmed during research done on cancer cells, performed by the Wrocław University and the Medical University in Wrocław (Prof. M. Malicka, Prof. M. Siewiński, Dr T. Sebzda)" – added Prof. Trziszka.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland