GB903975A - Improvements in and relating to the solubilization of collagen and reconstitution thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A soluble collagen fibre may be reconstituted from a solution of undenatured collagen obtained by treating insoluble collagen with a hydrolytic enzyme, e.g. pepsin, trypsin or pancreatin, at a temperature below the shrinkage temperature of the collagen fibre and extracting the collagen with a dilute acidic solution, e.g. pH 1 to 4, at a temperature below the denaturation temperature of the collagen, by neutralization, dialysis, treatment with an ion exchange resin, addition of an organic solvent, e.g. acetone or alcohol, or the use of a surface active agent. The collagen solution may be extruded through a nozzle into a 2M solution of sodium chloride to reconstitute it as a fibre, water removed with acetone, the fibre tanned in a mixture of 10% formalin and 0,02 M. solution of disodium hydrogen phosphate, and then dried in air or with acetone to obtain a yarn. A film may be prepared from the collagen solution by coating the solution on a plastic plate and drying at room temperature. The collagen solution may be added to gelatin prepared by suspending the soluble collagen in water, heating at between 60 DEG and 70 DEG C. to dissolve the collagen, cooling and drying, and the mixed solution extruded into a mixed solution of 0,02 M disodium hydrogen phosphate, 10% formalin, and 2 M sodium chloride, to form a fibre.ALSO:A process for the production of a solution of undenatured collagen from an insoluble collagen comprises treating the collagen with a hydrolytic enzyme e.g. pepsin, trypsin or pancreatin, at a temperature below the shrinkage temperature of the collagen fibre and extracting the collagen with a dilute acidic solution at a temperature below the denaturation temperature of the collagen. The dilute acidic solution e.g. hydrochloric, sulphuric, phosphoric, acetic or citric acids, may have a pH in the range 1 to 4. The collagen solution may be reconstituted to form a soluble fibre, for example, by neutralisation, dialysis, treatment with an ion exchange resin, addition of an organic solvent e.g. acetone or alcohol, or the use of a surface active agent. The collagen solution may be extruded through a nozzle into a 2M solution of sodium chloride to reconstitute it as a fibre, water is removed with acetone, the fibre tanned in a mixture of 10% formalin and 0.02M solution of disodium hydrogen phosphate, and then dried in air or with acetone to obtain a yarn. Gelatin may be prepared from the soluble collagen fibre by suspending the collagen in water, heating at between 60 and 70 DEG C. to dissolve the collagen, cooling to form a gel, and drying. The collagen solution may be added to the gelatin and the mixed solution extruded into a mixed solution of 0.02M disodium hydrogen phosphate, 10% formalin and 2M sodium chloride, to form a fibre. A film may be prepared from the collagen solution by coating the solution on a plastic plate and drying at room temperature.