Properties of collagen from skin, scale and bone of carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one of the main species of freshwater fish produced in China. Acid-soluble collagens (ASC) were prepared from carp skin, scale and bone. The yields of skin ASC, scale ASC and bone ASC are 41.3%, 1.35% and 1.06% (on the dry weight basis), respectively. SDS–PAGE pattern showed that ASCs of carp skin, scale and bone were all type I collagen, which were composed of two α1 and one α2 chains. The molecular weight of α2 chain is 116 KDa. The amino acid composition and peptide maps of ASCs were similar to each other, but they were totally different from those of cod skin ASC. Denaturation temperatures (Td) of ASCs were around 28 °C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy proved that ASCs were integrate and native. The results suggest that carp skin, scale and bone collagens have potential as an alternative source of collagen for use in various fields.