Establishment of a holistic and scientific protocol for the authentication and quality assurance of edible bird's nest

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

54 Scopus Citations
View graph of relations

Author(s)

  • Mei YANG
  • Sau-Ha CHEUNG
  • Sze Chun LI
  • Hon Yeung CHEUNG

Related Research Unit(s)

Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)271-278
Journal / PublicationFood Chemistry
Volume151
Online published13 Nov 2013
Publication statusPublished - 15 May 2014

Abstract

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is a prestigious and superior functional food. It is expensive due to its limited supply and enormous demand. Consequently, many fake products are available in the market. This report aims to design a holistic and scientific testing method for the authentication and quality assurance of EBN. The analytical system involves a concerted approach by applying the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) fingerprint of oligosaccharides, the environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) of microstructure, and the immunoblotting of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in EBN. The results confirmed that genuine EBN had the presence of five monoses and EGF, whereas the counterfeit EBN did not. Moreover, the content of N-Acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) and EGF are established as unique indicators for the grades of EBN. A unique three-dimensional, crater-like microstructure was also observed in authentic EBN, but not in fake products. It is concluded that the holistic approach, including chemical, physical and biochemical studies of EBN, is a reliable and scientific method for the verification of EBN.

Research Area(s)

  • Edible bird’s nest, Quality assurance, GC–MS fingerprint, ESEM analysis, EGF immunoblotting assay

Citation Format(s)

Establishment of a holistic and scientific protocol for the authentication and quality assurance of edible bird's nest. / YANG, Mei; CHEUNG, Sau-Ha; LI, Sze Chun et al.
In: Food Chemistry, Vol. 151, 15.05.2014, p. 271-278.

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review