The ancient Egyptians understood how to extract collagen from the skin and tendons of a slaughtered animal. Today, collagen is produced under strict hygienic conditions using an elaborate procedure. Ultimately, it involves proteins which have such a complex and large molecular structure that they confer many other benefits in addition to their water-binding properties.
From today’s perspective, gelatin is once again gaining in importance. It contains no fat, no sugar, and only pure protein in addition to a few mineral salts. This protein source is well balanced and of a high quality – so much so that, for logical reasons, it is expected to be available for human consumption.
Types of gelatin
The choice is yours. BIOGEL produces and markets three major types of gelatin originating from porcine, bovine and fish.
The type of gelatin which should ultimately be used depends on the end consumer’s attitude, the price or various food laws. The main technical differences are shown in the adjacent table.
| Porcine | Bovine | Fish | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process procedures | Acidic | Basic | Acidic |
| Raw materials | Collagen from porcine skin | Collagen from bovine skin | Collagen from fish skin |
| Gel strength | 80 – 280 Bloom | 80 – 280 Bloom | 140 – 260 Bloom |
| Isoelectric point | 7.0 – 9.0 | 4.8 – 5.5 | 7.0 – 9.0 |
| pH value | 4.0 – 5.5 | 5.0 – 6.5 | 4.5 – 6.0 |
| Foaming ability | High | Average | Average |
| Viscosity | Average | Tends to be high | Average |
| Transparency | Very transparent | Very transparent | Very transparent |
| Colour | Slightly yellow, beige | Yellowish | Slightly yellow, beige |
Tailor-made gelatin
Through the careful selection of raw components, we are able to manufacture gelatin according to your needs and stipulate the quality in separate specifications.
In doing so, the degree of milling plays a decisive role. We have various grinders at our disposal to adjust the granularity. With these grinders it is possible to achieve grain sizes of 4 to 200 mesh.
8 Mesh
20 Mesh
30 Mesh
50 Mesh
100 Mesh
200 Mesh
VITAGEL & COLLAMIN
Collagen hydrolisates (peptides)
Collagen hydrolysate in connection with joint and skin health
In contrast to gelatin, the enzymatic degradation of collagens results in collagen hydrolysate with a smaller molecular structure. For this reason, they are very soluble in water. Collagen hydrolysate is often used in food supplements due to its positive nutritional properties. Collagen hydrolysates are used to prevent and treat cartilage wear in joints. In patients suffering from this ailment, the intake of collagen hydrolysate is expected to lead to a reduction in pain and improvement in joint mobility. A further area of application for collagen hydrolysates with short-chain collagen peptides is the stimulation of skin regeneration with an improvement in skin health.
Several studies have been written on both health topics.
Two of the most important studies are cited below:
In 2011, the research group led by McAlindon et al. was able to demonstrate in a controlled clinical study using MRI technology (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) that a collagen hydrolysate with short-chain collagen peptides not only inhibits the degeneration of articular cartilage, but can also stimulate its regeneration. In 2015, a research group led by G. Schlippe et al. published a paper on the improvement of skin physiology in connection with the oral intake of collagen hydrolysate. In doing so, the clinical dermatological tests demonstrated that an intake over a longer period (> 3 months) significantly improves the skin’s elasticity, moisture and roughness.
