Gelatin Extraction and Characterization from Marine Sources
Summary
Marine-derived gelatin has emerged as a sustainable alternative to mammalian gelatin, addressing both environmental and cultural concerns while valorising seafood processing by-products. Extraction typically involves acid, alkaline or enzymatic pretreatments followed by thermal solubilisation, with emerging green technologies such as ultrasound-assisted or microwave-assisted extraction reducing solvent usage and energy demands. Characterisation encompasses molecular weight distribution, amino acid profiling—particularly hydroxyproline content—thermal behaviour (gelling and melting temperatures) and rheological properties (storage modulus, loss modulus). Owing to variations in collagen structure among species, marine gelatins often display lower gel strength and melting points than bovine or porcine counterparts, yet can be tailored through chemical or physical modification, such as polyelectrolyte complex formation with polysaccharides. Applications span food texturants, pharmaceutical capsules and cosmetic biomaterials, with in vitro biocompatibility and bioactivity studies underscoring their potential in wound-healing and drug delivery. The field continues to explore process optimisation, functional enhancement and safety assessment to support upscale production and regulatory approval.
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Gelatin Extraction and Characterization from Marine Sources publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in gelatin extraction and characterization from marine sources across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Collagen: A structural protein in marine connective tissue that yields gelatin upon partial denaturation.
Polyelectrolyte complex: A network formed by electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged biopolymers, such as gelatin and alginate.
Rheological properties: Characteristics that describe a gel’s deformation and flow behaviour under applied stress.
Sol-gel transition: The reversible change from a flowing sol to an elastic gel as temperature decreases.
Triple helix: The three-strand conformation of collagen that partly persists in gelatin and influences gel strength.
References
- Application of Green Technology in Gelatin Extraction: A Review. Processes (2021).
- Rheological Properties of Fish Gelatin Modified with Sodium Alginate. Polymers (2021).
- Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Gelatin Extracted from Marine Snail Rapana venosa. Marine Drugs (2019).
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