Suchergebnisse

Collagen is a natural and abundant polymer that serves multiple functions in both invertebrates and vertebrates. As collagen is the natural scaffolding for cells, collagen-based hydrogels are regarded as ideal materials for tissue engineering applications since they can mimic the natural cellular microenvironment. Chondrosia reniformis is a marine demosponge particularly rich in collagen, characterized by the presence of labile interfibrillar crosslinks similarly to those described in the mutable collagenous tissues (MCTs) of echinoderms. As a result single fibrils can be isolated using calcium-chelating and disulphide-reducing chemicals. In the present work we firstly describe a new extraction method that directly produces a highly hydrated hydrogel with interesting self-healing properties. The materials obtained were then biochemically and rheologically characterized. Our investigation has shown that the developed extraction procedure is able to extract collagen as well as other proteins and Glycosaminoglycans (GAG)-like molecules that give the collagenous hydrogel interesting and new rheological properties when compared to other described collagenous materials. The present work motivates further in-depth investigations towards the development of a new class of injectable collagenous hydrogels with tailored specifications. ; The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266 (ERC Advanced Grant project ComplexiTE), as well as from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the projects "Accelerating tissue engineering and personalized medicine discoveries by the integration of key enabling nanotechonologies, marine-derived biomaterials and stem cells" (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and 0687_NOVOMAR_1_P, co-financed by transborder cooperation programme POCTEP. The ...

Many cosmetic formulations have collagen as a major component because of its significant benefits as a natural humectant and moisturizer. This industry is constantly looking for innovative, sustainable, and truly efficacious products, so marine collagen based formulations are arising as promising alternatives. A solid description and characterization of this protein is fundamental to guarantee the highest quality of each batch. In the present study, we present an extensive characterization of marine-derived collagen extracted from salmon and codfish skins, targeting its inclusion as component in cosmetic formulations. Chemical and physical characterizations were performed using several techniques such as sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy rheology, circular dichroism, X-ray diffraction, humidity uptake, and a biological assessment of the extracts regarding their irritant potential. The results showed an isolation of type I collagen with high purity but with some structural and chemical differences between sources. Collagen demonstrated a good capacity to retain water, thus being suitable for dermal applications as a moisturizer. A topical exposure of collagen in a human reconstructed dermis, as well as the analysis of molecular markers for irritation and inflammation, exhibited no irritant potential. Thus, the isolation of collagen from fish skins for inclusion in dermocosmetic applications may constitute a sustainable and low-cost platform for the biotechnological valorization of fish by-products. ; The authors would like to acknowledge to European Union for the financial support under the scope of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the projects 0687_NOVOMAR_1_P (POCTEP (Programa Operacional de Cooperação Transfronteiriça España-Portugal) 2007/2013) and 0302_CVMAR_I_1_P (POCTEP 2014/2020) and the Structured Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021 (Norte2020) and under the scope of the European Union Seventh ...

Atlantic cod is processed industrially for food purposes, with several by-products being directed to animal feed and other ends. Looking particularly into swim bladders, the extraction of collagen can be a valuable strategy for by-product valorization, explored in the present work for the first time. Collagen was extracted using acetic acid (ASCsb) and pepsin (PSCsb) with yields of 5.72% (w/w) and 11.14% (w/w), respectively. SDS-PAGE profile showed that the extracts were compatible with type I collagen. FTIR, CD and XRD results suggest that the PSCsb structure underwent partial denaturation, with microDSC showing a band at 54 ºC probably corresponding to a melting process, while ASCsb structure remained intact, with preserved triple helix and a denaturation temperature of 29.6 ºC. Amino acid composition indicates that the total content of proline-like amino acids was 148/1000 residues for ASCsb and 141/1000 residues for PSCsb, with a hydroxylation degree of about 37%. The extracts exhibited a typical shear thinning behavior, interesting property regarding their further processing toward the development of biomaterials. In this regard, assessment of metabolic activity of human fibroblast cells cultured in the presence of collagen extracts with concentrations up to 3mg/mL revealed the absence of cytotoxic behavior. Collagen extracts obtained from Atlantic cod swim bladders shown attractive properties regarding their use in cosmetic or biomedical applications. ; The authors would like to acknowledge to European Union for the financial support under the scope of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Structured Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021 (Norte2020) and under the scope of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) through grant agreement ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266 (ERC Advanced Grant ComplexiTE). The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology is also acknowledged for the PhD grant of A. L. A under Doctoral Programme Do ~ Mar (PD/BD/127995/2016), as well as ...

Marine sponges are a rich source of natural bioactive compounds. One of the most abundant valuable products is collagen/gelatin, and therefore, presents an interesting alternative source for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. We have previously proposed an innovative green technology for the extraction of collagen/gelatin from marine sponges based in water acidified with carbon dioxide. In this work, we have optimized the process operating conditions towards high yields and collagen quality as well as to reduce extraction procedure duration and energy consumption. The process extraction efficiency is higher than 50%, corresponding to a yield of approximately 10% of the sponge dry mass, obtained for mild operating conditions 10 bars and 3h. The extracted material was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Rheology, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Circular Dichroism (CD), Aminoacid Analysis and SDS-PAGE. The extracts were found to be composed of highly pure mixtures of collagen and gelatin with similar properties of collagen isolated from other marine sources. The cytotoxicity evaluation, performed with L929 cells, has proven the biocompatibility of the material extracted. Overall, the results obtained demonstrate the efficiency of this approach and the high industrial potential of this technology to obtain marine collagen/gelatin with properties suitable for biomedical applications. ; FCT through Grant EXP/QEQ-EPS/0745/2012, SWIMS (Subcritical Water Isolation of compounds from Marine Sponges) ; European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement numbers REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS and KBBE-2010-266033 (project SPECIAL) ; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the project "Novel smart and biomimetic materials for innovative regenerative medicine approaches" RL1-ABMR-NORTE-01- 0124-FEDER-000016), cofinanced by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2, O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) ...

There is an urgent need for antitumor bioactive agents with minimal or no side effects over normal adjacent cells. Fucoidan is a marine-origin polymer with known antitumor activity. However, there are still some concerns about its application due to the inconsistent experimental results, specifically its toxicity over normal cells and the mechanism behind its action. Herein, three fucoidan extracts (FEs) have been tested over normal and breast cancer cell lines. From cytotoxicity results, only one of the extracts shows selective antitumor behavior (at 0.2 mg mLâ 1), despite similarities in sulfation degree and carbohydrates composition. Although the three FEs present different molecular weights, depolymerization of selected samples discarded Mw as the key factor in the antitumor activity. Significant differences in sulfates position and branching are observed, presenting FE 2 the higher branching degree. Based on all these experimental data, it is believed that these last two properties are the ones that influence the cytotoxic effects of fucoidan extracts. ; The authors would like to thank the funding from projects 0687_NOVOMAR_1_P, cofunded by INTERREG 2007-2013/POCTEP, CarbPol_u_Algae (EXPL/MAR-BIO/0165/2013), and IF/00376/2014/CP1212/CT0015, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT, and ComplexiTE (ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266), funded by the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development. The authors would also like to thank FCT, Portugal, for the scholarship of A.S.F. (SFRH/BD/102471/2014), fellowship of C.N. (SFRH/BPD/100627/2014), Investigator grants of A.M. (IF/00376/2014), R.N.-C. (IF/00373/2014), and I.P. (IF/00032/2013) and the financial support to CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679, FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013) and OOPNA (UID/OUI/00062/2013), through national founds and cofinanced by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership ...

The extraction of collagen from fish skins is being proposed as strategy for valorization of marine origin by-products, being a sustainable alternative to mammal collagen. The method commonly uses solutions of organic acids, but new methodologies are arising, aiming to improve process yields and/or the properties of the resulting products. In this work, skins removed from salt brine Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were used to extract collagen, using water acidified with CO2, obtaining an extraction yield of 13.8% (w/w). Acidified water extracted collagen (AWC) presented a total content of proline-like amino acids of 151/1000 residues, with a degree of hydroxylation of 38%, and its SDS-PAGE profile is compatible with type I collagen. Moreover, FTIR, CD and XRD results suggest the presence of preserved triple helix, having a denaturation temperature of 32.3 °C as determined by micro-DSC. AWC exhibited a typical shear thinning behavior, interesting regarding their further processing, namely in jelly-like formulations. Additionally, the presence of AWC in MRC-5 human fibroblasts culture did not affect cell viability, demonstrating the non-cytotoxic behavior. Overall, the results support the efficiency of the proposed approach for collagen extraction and further enable the design of methodologies to address AWC use in biomedical or cosmetic context. ; This work has received funding from European Union, under the scope of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Structured Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER000021 (Norte2020) and under the scope of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) through grant agreement ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266 (ERC Advanced Grant ComplexiTE). The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology is also acknowledged for the grant of A.L.A under Doctoral Programme Do* Mar (PD/BD/127995/2016) and for the PhD grant of C. O. (Norte08-5369-000037) with financial support by Norte 2020. The authors would like to acknowledge Frigoríficos da Ermida, Lda. (Gafanha da ...