In this study, the effect of solvent on the hydrodynamic properties of collagen extracted from tail tendons of young rats was researched. Collagen was dissolved in various aqueous carboxylic acid solutions, including acetic acid (AA), acetic acid with the addition of sodium chloride (AA/NaCl), formic acid (FA), lactic acid (LA), citric acid (CA), and also citrate buffer at pH = 3.7 (CB). The properties of collagen solutions at a concentration of 0.45 mg/mL were characterized based on the viscometric method. The reduced viscosity, intrinsic viscosity, and Huggins coefficient of collagen solutions and effect of solvent, temperature, and UV irradiation on these properties were investigated. Collagen solutions in acetic acid, acetic acid/NaCl, and citrate buffer were irradiated with UV light up to 1 h, and the viscosity of collagen solutions was measured. It was found that the organic acids used as solvent affected viscosity behavior, denaturation temperature, and stability of collagen solutions. The lowest values of studied parameters were obtained for the collagen solutions in acetic acid with the addition of sodium chloride. Thus, the effect of various aqueous carboxylic acid solutions on collagen solutions properties and denaturation temperature can also be affected by the sodium chloride addition. The results of this research can be crucial for the preparation of collagen solutions for both cosmetic and biomedical applications.
Keywords: UV irradiation; collagen; collagen solutions; denaturation; intrinsic viscosity.