A simplified alternative to the conventional dialysis of the collagen extraction protocol

Abstract

One of the major disadvantages of the conventional fish collagen extraction protocol is its complicated, prolonged, and costly purification step which is associated with dialysis. Therefore, the focus of this study was to modify the purification step for a simple alternative and create a protocol to determine the efficiency of the alternative technique. Thus, Acid-soluble collagen was extracted from yellowfin tuna skin, and purification was carried out using both dialysis and a novel washing technique. The endpoint of this washing technique was determined using a refractometer and pH meter. Collagen yields from yellowfin tuna skin were 61.26 ± 0.63 % for the dialysis method and 62.03 ± 1.85 % for the washing technique. Collagens extracted by both methods were identified as Type I, exhibiting high purity and maintaining their triple helical structure. Under the naked eye, freeze-dried collagen appeared as a white sponge, while under scanning electron microscopy, it showed a porous, fibrous, and sheet-like structure. The washing technique proved more economically viable, time-efficient, and practical compared to dialysis. The endpoint determination approaches developed were straightforward and reliable. However, further scale-up studies are needed for both the washing technique and endpoint determination methods for its industrialisation.