Acid soluble collagen (ASC) was extracted from Silver Carp fish skin. Collagen was dissolved in acetic acid at varying concentrations and its rheological properties were studied. Steady shear flow properties of collagen solutions at concentrations of 5 and 10 mg/mL were characterized using rheometry at 20 °C. Collagen solutions were irradiated with UV light (wavelength 254 nm) for up to 2 h and rheological properties were measured. All the collagen solutions showed a shear-thinning flow behavior. A constant viscosity region was observed after 1 h of UV irradiation, which showed that collagen molecules were fully denatured. A short treatment with collagen solution by UV (ultraviolet) light led to an increase in viscosity; however, the denaturation temperature of UV-irradiated collagen decreased. Depending on the time of UV treatment, collagen extracted from Silver Carp fish skin may undergo physical crosslinking or photodegradation. Physically crosslinked collagen may find applications in functional food, cosmetic, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries.
Keywords: Silver Carp; UV irradiation; collagen; fish skin; rheology.