Identification of Antiadhesive Fraction(s) in Nonimmunized Egg Yolk Powder:  In Vitro Study

The presence of antiadhesive component(s) in the hen egg yolk against foodborne pathogens was anticipated from results of a previous animal study conducted by the authors. The previous work showed egg yolk powder without specific antibodies is effective in controlling Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization in laying hens. Therefore, this study was necessary to locate the activity and identify the effective component(s). In vitro experiments were conducted using confluent Caco-2 cell monolayers. S. enteritidis, S. typhimurium, and E. coli O157:H7 were investigated against the various extracted granule and plasma fractions in three different assays: adhesion elimination, adhesion prevention, and antimicrobial. This study revealed original findings and identified the protective yolk fraction against the foodborne pathogens as the granule component, high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The protective activity conveyed by HDL was confirmed to remain intact despite peptic and tryptic enzymatic digestion and to have antiadhesive but not antimicrobial effect. Keywords: Egg yolk; granule; high-density lipoproteins; Salmonella enteritidis; Salmonella typhimurium; Escherichia coli O157:H7; antiadhesive