Characterization of Acid-soluble Collagen (ASC) from Milkfish (Chanos chanos) Heads

As global demand for fish continues to escalate alongside the growing population, fish production also surges – resulting in an increase in various fish wastes, including fish heads. To address this challenge, this study aims to extract and characterize collagen from milkfish heads, paving the way for upcycling fish heads. The milkfish heads underwent a series of treatments: demineralization, deproteinization, and delipidation. The milkfish head waste samples were processed with 0.5 M acetic acid to extract acid-soluble collagen, resulting in a yield of 1.8%. The visual assessment revealed a soft, spongy texture with an off-white color. Scanning electron microscopy further showed a sheet-like, fibrillar morphology. Additionally, Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic collagen absorption bands. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy detected a characteristic peak at a wavelength of 235 nm. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed a melting temperature of 113.02 °C. This study contributes to sustainable resource utilization and waste reduction. Further research is recommended to refine extraction techniques and explore the biomedical potential of collagen derived from milkfish.