From Nutrition to Innovation: Biomedical Applications of Egg Components

Abstract

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.

Keywords: biomaterials; biomedical applications; egg.

Figure 1

Biomedical applications of egg components. (A) 3D-printed egg white (EW) hydrogels for wound dressing [5]. (B) 3D printing of EW hydrogels [6]. (C) Motion sensor developed from Carbon nanotube (CNT)-EW hydrogels (Reproduced with permission from ref. [6] Copyright 2019, The Royal Society of Chemistry) [6]. (D) SEM image of egg yolk hydrogels [7]. (E) Purification of specific lgY for medical formulation (Reproduced with permission from ref. [8] Copyright 2023, Elsevier) [8]. (F) Bioglass wound dressing coated with eggshell membranes (Reproduced with permission from ref. [9] Copyright 2023, Elsevier) [9]. (G) Skin substitute from eggshell membrane crosslinked gelatin–chitosan cryogels (Reproduced with permission from ref. [10] Copyright 2021, The Royal Society of Chemistry) [10]. (H) Bone graft substitute, osteoporosis, coatings for dental implants.