Edible bird nest as a bioactive food ingredient for human health and market sustainability

Edible Bird Nest (EBN), primarily produced by the Edible-Nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus), has long been valued across cultures for its nutritional, medicinal, and economic significance. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current research on EBN, encompassing its nutritional composition, therapeutic potential, ecological importance, and commercial relevance. The published literatures highlighted EBN as a rich source of essential proteins, amino acids, sialic acid, collagen, and glycoproteins, which are associated with a range of health benefits including tissue repair, immune regulation, skin rejuvenation, respiratory and digestive health support, and anti-aging effects. Beyond its role this review aims to synthesize the existing knowledge about the four aspects of EBN such as the nutritional content, medicinal value, economic implications and the role of EBN in Ecology and Sustainability. As a functional food, the ecological contribution of swiftlets, particularly in insect population control underscores the importance of sustainable harvesting practices of EBN. However, increasing demand of EBN might be cause of the habitat destruction, and over-exploitation are current significant challenges to both swiftlet conservation and EBN production. The review emphasizes the need for continued research, improved quality control, and ethical production frameworks to balance the health benefits and economic value of EBN with environmental sustainability.