Gelatin: sources, preparation and application in food and biomedicine

Abstract

Gelatin is a proteinaceous substance composed of all the essential amino acids (except tryptophan) and derived from collagen using a hydrolysis technique. Hydrogels and modified composites based on gelatin are widely used in the food industry, biomedicine, pharmaceutical industry and food packaging materials due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, nonimmunogenicity and ability to stimulate cell adhesion and proliferation. Gelatin can absorb 5-10 times its weight of water and is the main ingredient of hard and soft capsules in pharmaceutical industry. It melts above 30°C and easily releases biologically active compounds, nutrients and drugs in human gastrointestinal tract. In addition, gelatin contains arginine-glycine-asparagine RGD-sequences in the polymer structure and contributes to various functions such as antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial, tissue regeneration, wound healing, enhances bone formation and anti-cancer therapy. This article reports a brief overview of gelatin sources, gelatin preparation processes and its physico-chemical properties, as well as advances in the preparation of gelatin-based composite materials and hydrogels for tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound dressings, active packaging using various cross-linking techniques.

Functional and technological properties of hydrocolloids: A comparative analysis

“…Centrifugal force releases liquid phase from the immobilized test sample. The volume of the liquid depends on the interaction between moisture and protein [3].…”

“…where k is the viscometer constant, mm 2 /s; τ is the flow time, s; ρ is the solution density, g/cm 3 . Foaming capacity and foam stability were determined as follows:…”

“…It is a product of collagen hydrolysis obtained by thermal denaturation or physical and chemical degradation. Its amino acid composition includes up to 18 amino acids, including glycine (26-31%), proline (15-18%), hydroxyproline (13-15%), glutamic acid (11-12%), aspartic acid (6-7 %), alanine (8-11%), and arginine (8-9%) [3].…”