Study on Interaction Mechanism between Neutral Salts and Collagen by Combining Experiments with Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The effect of salt on the collagen of hide/skin is of great significance in leather-making. However, the interaction between neutral salts and collagen has not been clear, since the microscopic interaction is hard to be observed directly from the macro level of hide/skin collagen. In this study, the collagen solutions in the typical neutral salts (NaCl, CaCl2, and Na2SO4) systems were used to explore the interaction mechanism between neutral salts and collagen via combining experiments with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results of fluorescence measurements of pyrene, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and isoelectric point suggested that the variation of the interaction between different neutral salts and collagen was accompanied with the changes in physicochemical properties of collagen. MD simulation further revealed more detailed information on the interaction mechanism between neutral salts and collagen at the molecular level. The computational results of non-bond energy of the collagen-salt model boxes indicated that the electrostatic interactions of different salts with collagen molecules had the order of CaCl2> Na2SO4> NaCl. The analyses of the visualized conformation and the radial distribution functions showed that CaCl2 with Ca2+ as contributing ion tended to form intramolecular salt bridges with collagen, while Na2SO4 with SO42-as contributing ion more likely formed salt bridges between collagen molecules in the shape of agglomerates. In contrast, NaCl with Cl-as contributing ion was scattered around the collagen models, and its effect on collagen was much smaller. The study elaborated the interaction mechanism of typical neutral salts and collagen to be helpful for further understanding and improving the use of neutral salts in many steps involved in leather production.