Collagen-based biomaterials have been widely used due to its binding capabilities. However the properties and potential use of new collagen sources are still under investigation. Fish by-products are an excellent source of collagen. Thus, acid-soluble collagen (ASC) was extracted, and biochemical and physicochemically characterized from one under-utilized specie, jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas). In addition, commercial chitosan (95-50%)-ASC (5-50%) blend films were successfully prepared by casting, and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The molecular masses of the ASC subunits were about 190kDa, 110kDa, and 97kDa, the content of proline and hydroxyproline was 10.9% and 2.8%, respectively. The FT-IR and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra ((1)H NMR) confirmed collagen peptidic crosslinks, and one endothermic peak was found at 119 degrees C. The FT-IR spectrum showed that chitosan and ASC remain linked into the films mainly due to hydrogen bonding. The 85:15 (chitosan:ASC) ratio was selected for its thermal and mechanical analyses. The thermograms of this film indicated the presence of two peaks, one at 87-98 degrees C and the other at 142-182 degrees C. The chitosan:ASC blend produced a transparent and brittle film, with high percentage of elongation at break, and low tensile strength in comparison to chitosan films. D. gigas mantle might be useful as a new source of plasticizer agent in the preparation of biofilms in composites with chitosan.
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