Physico-chemical, structural and techno-functional properties of gelatin from saithe (Pollachius virens) skin

Gelatin from saithe (Pollachius virens) skin, with high mineral content, was characterized and compared to marine gelatin from the market. As expected, gelatin extracted from the saithe skin had a high mineral content (>20%), compared to commercial gelatin (<0.2%). SDS-PAGE analysis revealed the presence of α-chains, β-chains and other high molecular weight aggregates. The absorption bands of gelatin in FTIR spectra were mainly situated in the amide band region (amide A, amide B, amide I, amide II and amide III), whereas DSC thermograms showed typical gelatin behavior. Interesting viscoelastic and higher foaming properties were observed for the saithe gelatins, compared to the market gelatins, probably due to the presence of high sea mineral content. The potential applications in food and cosmetic area of gelatin with high mineral content are presented and discussed in the conclusions.