Grass carp is a freshwater fish species widely known by consumers over the world. Its skin has abundant collagen which has many healthy effects. Four variables (acetic acid concentration, temperature, time, solvent to material ratio) were taken to investigate their effects on the extraction efficiency of collagen from grass carp skin. From the results obtained, each of them showed a significant role in the extraction. The yield of collagen increased with the increase of acetic acid concentration to 0.5 M, and thereafter decreased. Elevation of temperature during extraction could also lead to the increase of collagen yield. However, when the temperature was above 20C, a negative effect was observed. The yield of collagen increased with the extension of time, especially when the time was shorter than 24 h. A positive relation was also observed between solvent to material ratio and yield of collagen.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Grass carp is widely consumed over the world for its delicious taste and healthy effect. A large amount of collagen exists in the skin tissues. Development of collagen from grass carp skin can bring added value for the fish processing industry. In this work, extraction of collagen from grass carp skin was investigated and effects of acetic acid concentration, temperature, time and solvent to material ratio on the extraction efficiency were determined. The results indicated that the above variables were influential for the extraction process. It is important to define the level of these variables in practical application so that the extraction efficiency can be improved, and a time‐saving, cost‐efficient process can be obtained.