Collagen extraction from aquatic animals

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of fish skin as novel industrial source of collagen. Advantageously, said skin is obtained after the filleting or cutting of the fresh fish and frozen immediately after filleting/cutting, thus guaranteeing a very good quality of the base material, both from the bacteriological standpoint and from the standpoint of the native property of the protein.

1 . A process of extracting collagen, the collagen is obtained from skins of aquatic animals, wherein the aquatic animals include  Lates calcarifer  and  Oreochromis nilotica.    
     
     
         2 . The process of extracting collagen as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the collagen is extracted from fish skin using an enzyme. 
     
     
         3 . The process of extracting collagen as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme is papain. 
     
     
         4 . The process of extracting collagen as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the process comprising of a starting material consisting essentially of fish skin, extracting collagen from said the fish skin, and recovering the collagen. 
     
     
         5 . The process of extracting collagen as claimed in  claim 2 , fish skin is a flat fish skin. 
     
     
         6 . The process of extracting collagen as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said skin is obtained by cutting the skin from fresh or frozen fish. 
     
     
         7 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the process of extracting collagen from skins of  Lates calcarifer  (barramundi) comprising the steps of:
 a) mixing the skin with alkaline solution for at least 6 hours;   b) washing the skin with water to eliminate residual the alkaline solution;   c) soaking the skin with alcohol solution for at least 18 hours;   d) washing the skin with a neutral solution;   e) treating the skin from step (d) with an acidic solution;   f) hydrolyzing the skin from step (e) with papain;   g) obtaining a mixture from step (f) and stirring the mixture at a working temperature of 4° C. for at least 24 hours;   h) centrifuging the mixture from step (g) at 4-5° C.;   i) precipitation of collagen by introducing the collagen into a sodium chloride solution to precipitate collagen fibers.   j) collecting the collagen fibers from step (i) and centrifuging the collagen for at least 60 minutes;   k) obtaining collagen pellet;   l) dissolving the collagen pellet into acetic acid solution   m) freeze-drying the dialysed suspension.   
     
     
         8 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the process of extracting collagen from skins of  Oreochromis nilotica  (red tilapia) comprising the steps of:
 a) homogenizing the fish skin with sodium;   b) obtaining a suspension from step (a)   c) stirring the suspension for at least 24 hours;   d) centrifuging the suspension from step (c) for at least 20 minutes;   e) obtaining a precipitate from step (d);   f) homogenizing the precipitate from step (e) with alkaline solution;   g) stirring the precipitate from step (f) for at least 24 hours and for at least 3 repeats;   h) washing the precipitate with water and acetic acid solution;   i) stirring the precipitate from step (h) with papain at a working temperature of 5° C. for at least 24 hours;   j) obtaining a mixture from step (i)   k) centrifuging the mixture from step (j) for at least 20 minutes;   l) obtaining collagen fibers from step (k);   m) introducing the collagen into a sodium chloride solution   n) collecting the collagen fibers from step (m) and centrifuging the collagen for at least 20 minutes;   o) obtaining collagen pellet;   p) freeze-drying the dialysed suspension.   
     
     
         9 . The process as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the collagen obtained from the skin having a percentage of working yield between 14 and 40% by weight. 
     
     
         10 . The process as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the collagen obtained from the skin having a percentage of working yield between 14 and 40% by weight. 
     
     
         11 . A process of analyzing the collagen as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the process includes amino acid analysis, peptide in the collagen and type of collagen. 
     
     
         12 . The process as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the amino acid includes glycine, proline, alanine and arginine. 
     
     
         13 . The process as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the apparent molecular weights of the peptide in the collagen is between 37 and 205 kilodalton (KDa). 
     
     
         14 . The process as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the type of collagen is type 1 collagen. 
     
     
         15 . A process of analyzing the collagen as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the process includes amino acid analysis, peptide in the collagen and type of collagen. 
     
     
         16 . The process as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the amino acid includes glycine, proline, alanine and arginine. 
     
     
         17 . The process as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the apparent molecular weights of the peptide in the collagen is between 37 and 205 kilodalton (KDa). 
     
     
         18 . The process as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the type of collagen is type 1 collagen. 
     
     
         19 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising collagen of  claim 1  and a cosmetic or topical preparation. 
     
     
         20 . The pharmaceutical as claimed in  19 , wherein the cosmetic includes cream, lotion eye cream, ointment or gel, sun-screen, oral administration, face mask cream, anti-inflammatory medicine, and/or anti-irritant medicine. 
     
     
         21 . A food composition comprising the collagen of  claim 1  and a food product. 
     
     
         22 . The food as claimed in  21 , wherein the food product/s include beverages, dairy products, confectionaries, chocolates, and any application in food formulation/s as an ingredient or for any functional properties.