Physicochemical and Biotechnological Properties of Marine Collagen Materials

As the current agricultural production capacity fails to meet the growing demand for meat products, the global market might soon face meat shortages. Cultured, or cultivated, meat is a prospective solution to protein security challenges. Its bioproduction relies on a three-dimensional scaffold that defines the structural and mechanical properties of the final product. The food science is seeking new scaffolding materials that would yield cultured meat with targeted sensory and textural properties. This article describes the physical and chemical properties of marine collagen to evaluate its biotechnological potential as raw material for cultured meat scaffolds. The study investigated collagen derived from jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) and zander skin (Sander lucioperca) obtained by acid extraction. The physicochemical characterization involved the Laemmli electrophoretic method, capillary electrophoresis, FTIR spectroscopy, MTT assay, and 3D bioprinting. The collagen consisted of two polypeptide chains (α and β) with molecular weights of 240 kDa (A. aurita) and 220 kDa (S. lucioperca). The samples exhibited an optimal isoelectric point, which supported cell culture growth and development. Hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline provided molecules with robust scaffolding properties. The marine collagen demonstrated biocompatibility but no cytotoxicity. The collagen samples from A. aurita biomass and S. lucioperca skin demonstrated good prospects as biomaterial for scaffolds in cultured meat production.