Evaluation of the Potential of Collagen from Codfish Skin as a Biomaterial for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Collagen is one of the most widely used biomaterials, not only due its biocompatibility, biodegradability and weak antigenic potential, but also due to its role in the structure and function of tissues. Searching for alternative collagen sources, the aim of this study was to extract collagen from the skin of codfish, previously obtained as a by-product of fish industrial plants, and characterize it regarding its use as a biomaterial for biomedical application, according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Guidelines. Collagen type I with a high degree of purity was obtained through acid-extraction, as confirmed by colorimetric assays, SDS-PAGE and amino acid composition. Thermal analysis revealed a denaturing temperature around 16 °C. Moreover, collagen showed a concentration-dependent effect in metabolism and on cell adhesion of lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells. In conclusion, this study shows that collagen can be obtained from marine-origin sources, while preserving its bioactivity, supporting its use in biomedical applications.

Collagen from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) skins extracted using CO2 acidified water with potential application in healthcare

“…Equally important and regarding their great biotechnological potential, cod by-products can be established as alternative raw-materials for the production of biomolecules highly demanded by several industrial sectors. In particular, cod skin is a significant by-product generated when cod is processed as fillets and/or shredded, which could be utilized to produce collagen [5][6][7][8], often incorporated in the production of functional food or medicine due to its properties.…”

Utilization of marine by-products for the recovery of value-added products

“…However, the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad-cow disease) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis as well as religious and social issues in some countries and markets and ecological impact of wasting the fish skin are the driving force for the increasing commercial use of fish collagen (Badii and Howell, 2006;Blanco et al, 2017;Ennaas et al, 2016;Gilsenan and Ross-Murphy, 2000;Karim and Bhat, 2009;Kim and Mendis, 2006;Rustad, 2003;Supavititpatana et al, 2008;Wasswa, et al, 2007). This approach assures the sustainable exploitation of marine resources whilst addressing the waste disposal issues related to environmental pollution (Carvalho et al, 2018). Recent research indicates that marine organisms are the most convenient and the safest sources to obtain high-quality collagen.…”

“…Some research works in Japan has demonstrated that fish scales of sardines have potential as an important collagen source (Belouafa et al, 2018;Kimura and Ohno, 1987;Nomura et al, 1996). Rohu, catla, megrim, dover sole, codfish, hake, carp, shark, spotted golden goatfish, tuna, niger triggerfish and tilapia are some of the fish species that have been subjected to extraction of collagen from marine vertebrates (Gómez-Guillén et al, 2002;Kittiphattanabawon et al, 2010;Matmaroh et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2011;Carvalho et al, 2018). A recent study found that collagens extracted from Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar has the potential for use as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications (Bernhardt et al, 2018).…”

“…A recent study found that collagens extracted from Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar has the potential for use as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications (Bernhardt et al, 2018). However, the main constraint related to fish collagens is the establishment of a sound extraction process for their commercial exploitation (Carvalho et al, 2018). The basic subunit of the collagen is tropocollagen, which is a three stranded polypeptide unit.…”

“…The high demand for potential usage of collagen has led to intense research on different marine species, mainly due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and weak antigenic potential as biomaterial (Carvalho et al, 2018). In this respect, as mentioned earlier, marine invertebrate collagen has gained much attention as an alternative to mammalian collagen (Tziveleka et al, 2017;Ehrlich et al, 2018).…”