Bird's nest is a nest built by mixing saliva and down feathers secreted by several swiftlets of the Swift family. Mainly produced in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar, as well as my country's Fujian and Guangdong coastal areas. According to ancient medical books and people’s word of mouth, bird’s nest has the functions of nourishing yin, moisturizing dryness and nourishing qi. It can be used as a high-end tonic and is deeply loved by domestic and foreign consumers. ^[1]The Chinese have a long history of eating bird's nest and it is well documented. According to historical records, as early as when Zheng He sailed to the West, when the Chinese fleet exchanged items with Southeast Asia and other countries, they exchanged porcelain, tea, etc. for precious bird’s nest, and brought it back to the country to pay tribute to the emperor. Consider it a delicacy tonic. The earliest detailed data records on the import of bird’s nests into China is in the late 17th century, 125,000 pounds were shipped from Batavia (now known as Jakarta) in Java to China every year.

Modern scientific research has proved that the key nutritional component of bird's nest is bird's nest acid, also known as sialic acid, is the main bioactive component of bird's nest. The sialic acid in bird's nest mainly exists in the form of N-acetylneuraminic acid. According to reports, the content of sialic acid in general bird's nest can reach more than 7%, which is also a method for preliminary identification of true and false bird's nest.^[1]The content of sialic acid in superior bird's nest is more than 10%, and the content in the premium grade bird's nest is more than 12%.

Sialic acid also shows its value in western scientific research. In 1957, Blix isolated (sialic acid) from bovine submandibular gland mucin, and its chemical name was N-acetylneuraminic acid.N-acetylneuraminic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) is the general term of nine carbon sugar neuraminic acid acylates, which exists in bird's nest and dairy products. It is worth noting that the content of N-acetylneuraminic acid in breast milk is the highest among all dairy products, about 1.5g/l. ^[2]N-acetylneuraminic acid is the main component of ganglioside and glycoprotein in the brain. The content of N-acetylneuraminic acid in the brain is very high, and it is an essential nutrient for the cognitive development of human brain. ^[3]

N-acetylneuraminic acid is an important part of the structure and function of brain gangliosides and glycoproteins. Gangliosides are mainly concentrated in the cerebral cortex, and they also play a key role in the formation of nerve synapses and nerve center transmission.^[4] N-acetylneuraminic acid has a special mission in the nervous system. It can promote the differentiation, development and nerve regeneration of nerve cells, participate in synaptic transmission, maintain the normal function of cells, participate in memory and learning functions, and improve The ability to learn and remember. Studies have shown that an important substance for infant brain development is N-acetylneuraminic acid. In addition, N-acetylneuraminic acid also has anti-virus ^[5], anti-tumor, inhibition of white blood cell adhesion and anti-inflammatory, anti-senile dementia and other effects.

[1] Main nutritional components of bird's nest and enzymatic extraction of sialic acid from bird's nest. Journal of Fujian agriculture and Forestry University (NATURAL SCIENCE EDITION)

[2] Sialic acid is an important nutrient for brain development and cognition;

[3].Morgan BL, Winick M. 1980. Effects of administration of N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) on brain NANA content and behavior. J. Nutr. 110:416–24

[4].Wang B, Brand-Miller J. 2003. The role and potential of sialic acid in human nutrition. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 57:1351–69

[5] Gao Jinrong. Molecular biology: Chemical Industry Press, 2011