Lysozyme, as one of the major proteins in egg white, has been widely used in the food, medicine and aquaculture fields due to its rich content and excellent antibacterial activity. Despite its notable efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria, lysozyme exhibits a lower sensitivity to Gram-negative bacteria, hindering its broader industrial application. In addition, the antibacterial activity of egg white lysozyme is affected by complex application environments and its duration of action. To bolster its antibacterial power, lysozyme is modified through various methods, including physical, chemical and biological modifications. This article presents a comprehensive review of the recent literature on the antibacterial properties of egg white lysozyme from four aspects: extraction and purification, antibacterial mechanism, modification techniques and application. It aims to shed new light on the molecular mechanism behind lysozyme’s antibacterial action in order to maximize the application value of egg white lysozyme and to provide a theoretical foundation for expanding its application in various industries.

Egg yolk is an important food ingredient because of its outstanding nutritional value and emulsifying properties. The insoluble particle structure present in egg yolk and heat treatment during food processing may lead to poor stability of egg yolk emulsion. Hydrolysis, as a safe, efficient and low-energy modification method, has been widely used in studies on improving the emulsifying properties of egg yolk. In this paper, the effects of hydrolysis on the molecular structure, physicochemical properties and emulsifying characteristics of egg yolk are reviewed. Taking into account the actual needs of production, the formation mechanism and removal process of off-flavor in egg yolk hydrolysis products are discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the application of the emulsifying properties of egg yolk in the field of food processing, with a view to providing theoretical references for research on the hydrolytic modification of egg yolk.