A Novel Mechanically Robust and Biodegradable Egg White Hydrogel Membrane by Combined Unidirectional Nanopore Dehydration and Annealing

A homogeneous egg white obtained by high-speed shearing and centrifugation was dehydrated into a fragile water-soluble glass (EWG) unidirectional nanopore dehydration (UND). After EWG annealing, it can become an hydrogel membrane (EWHM) that is water-insoluble, flexible, biocompatible, mechanically robust. Its tensile strength, elongation at break, the swelling ratio are about 5.84 MPa, 50–110%, 60–130%, respectively. Protein structure analysis showed UND caused rearrangement of protein molecules to form with random coil α-helix structures. The thermal decomposition temperature 309.25 °C. annealing over 100 or 110 °C for 1.0 h 45 min, porous network EWHM mainly composed β-sheet structures, increased 317.25–318.43 Their 12-day residues in five proteases ranged from 1% 99%, order pepsin > neutral protease papain trypsin alkaline protease. Mouse fibroblast L929 cells adhere, grow, proliferate well on these EWHMs. Therefore, combined technology green novel processing has potential applications field biomimetic biomedical materials.