Biomedical Applications Based on Marine Collagen Obtained from the Jellyfish Species Rhizostoma Pulmo Extracted from the Black Sea

Abstract

Due to its unique properties, collagen is used in various emerging fields such as the pharmaceutical and biomedical device industries, as well as in related fields: nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food, beverages and nutritional supplements. Marine gelatin, one of the biomaterials involved in food and medicinal research, is denatured collagen produced from acid, alkaline, or enzyme hydrolysis. Gelatin is a crucial ingredient for the food, pharmaceutical, medical, biomedical focusing on versatile applications. Jellyfish collagen is a valuable resource for bioplastics and biomaterials used in various health sectors. Recently, marine organisms have been considered viable sources of collagen because they do not harbor transmissible diseases. In particular, fish biomass, as well as the catches of other types of organisms, such as small fish, jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, sponges, possess a significant content of collagen. The collagen extracted from the species Rhizostoma pulmo from the Black Sea basin is also part of the bioresources that can be used to obtain natural marine collagen from this type of invertebrates. The use of discarded or hither to unused biomass could contribute to the development of a sustainable collagen extraction process with a positive impact on the ecosystem. In the future it is desired to approach a world strategy that minimizes the amount of waste and that supports all three general objectives of sustainability: sustainable economic well-being, social well-being and environmental protection.