**6.2 Characterization of chitosan/acid soluble collagen from jumbo squid blends**

Films produced by mixing collagen from jumbo squid and chitosan are easily obtained by using a casting plate (Arias-Moscoso et al., 2011). These films usually are opaque, soft, with porous structure, and hygroscopic (Figure 5), which also poses poor water barrier properties and slight acidic smell (Arias-Moscoso et al., 2011). The last mentioned properties may produce films not suitable to prevent deterioration in some kinds of products; however, might be suitable for medical or pharmaceutical applications and, to avoid the acidic smell, a neutralization process may be applied.

Fig. 5. Micrograph and picture of acid soluble collagen obtained from jumbo squid byproducts-chitosan (A) and chitosan (B) films.

By-Products From Jumbo Squid (*Dosidicus gigas*): A New Source of Collagen Bio-Plasticizer? 35

biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, non-toxicity, and versatile chemical and physical properties. Acid soluble collagen/chitosan blends are miscible and interact at the molecular level, although pure chitosan, as a film material, poses low percentage of elongation, it is possible to improve its elasticity with the addition of biodegradable materials. The film properties of the chitosan can be enhanced by adding collagen to the blend, where both

ASC from jumbo squid and chitosan blends are miscible and interact at the molecular level, being hydrogen bonding the most abundant interaction forces between the polymers. These interactions affect the chitosan films properties. Opaque and more elastic chitosan films are

The general trend of the stress-strain curves of acid soluble-chitosan films was characteristic of elastic films where collagen showing a conventional action of plasticizers (increase in elongation and decrease in strength). Therefore acid soluble collagen from jumbo squid is

This chapter only covers a limited introduction to collagen as bio-plasticizer. However, in view of the advances in technologies for recovering collagen from seafood catch and processing discards that should environment friendly and the continue need within the seafood industry to find alternative products, further research efforts should also be directed toward ways to evaluated the industrial potential of collagen as an alternative to traditional petroleum-based plasticizer, and provide its comparison as a chitosan or other

The authors thank Dr. Armando Burgos-Hernández and LGA Giselle Moreno-Ezquerra for

Agulló, E.; Albertengo, L.; Pastor de Abram, A.; Rodríguez, S. & Valenzuela, F. (2004).

Arias-Moscoso, J. L.; Soto-Valdez, H.; Plascencia-Jatomea, M.; Vidal-Quintanar, R.-L.;

Arvanitoyannis, I. S. & Kassaveti, A. (2008). Fish industry waste: treatments, environmental

Arvanitoyannis, I., Kolokuris, I., Nakayama, A., Yamamoto, N. & Aiba, S. (1997). Physico-

*Internacional*, Vol.60, No.6, (March 2011), pp. (924–931), 0959-8103.

*Technology*, Vol.43, No.4, (April 2008), pp. (726-745), 0950-5423.

*Quitina y Quitosano: Obtención, Caracterización y Aplicaciones* Pontificia Universidad

Rouzaud-Sandez, O. & Ezquerra-Brauer, J. M. (2011). Composites of chitosan with acid-soluble collagen from jumbo squid (*Dosidicus gigas*) by-products. *Polymer* 

impacts, current and potential uses. *International Journal of Food Science and* 

chemical studies of chitosan-poly(vinyl alcohol) blends plasticized with sorbitol and sucrose. *Carbohydrate Polymers*, Vol.34, No. 1-2, (December), pp. (9-19), 0144-

their technical assistance. This study was supported by CONACYT.

suitable to be used as additive to improve the elastic properties of the chitosan films.

polymers interact by electrostatic and hydrogen bonding.

obtained by the incorporation of acid soluble collagen.

polymer plasticizer with other bio-plasticizer.

Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú.

**8. Acknowledgments** 

**9. References** 

8617.
