Collagen peptide is an extracellular protein, composed of two or more amino acids-protein peptides. The human body absorbs in the form of peptides. The absorption utilization rate of edible protein peptides can reach 100%. Different peptide molecular weight and amino acid sequence have different functions. Collagen is rich in amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline that the human body needs. It is the most important component of the extracellular matrix.
Collagen peptide is a fibrous protein with three peptide chains twisted into a spiral. It is the most abundant protein in the human body, accounting for 1/3 of the total protein in the body. There are about 3 kg of collagen in the body of a 60 kg adult. It is mainly found in human skin, bones, eyes, teeth, tendons, internal organs (including heart, stomach, intestine, blood vessels) and other parts.
Its function is to maintain skin and tissue. The shape and structure of organs are also important raw materials for repairing damaged tissues. 70% of human skin components are composed of collagen.
What is the harm of lack of collagen in the body?
When collagen is insufficient, not only skin and bone problems will occur, but also adverse effects on internal organs. In other words, collagen is an important component indispensable for maintaining normal body activities. It is also a substance that keeps the body young and prevents aging. In addition, collagen can also prevent diseases and improve physical fitness, which is very helpful for beauty and health.
Studies have shown that the lack of collagen or molecular defects can cause changes in human body functions. As a result, many diseases occur, such as achondroplasia, osteogenesis imperfecta, Alport syndrome, skin hyperelasticity and cannon epidermolysis and so on. In addition, the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis is closely related to the degradation and abnormal metabolism of collagen.
Collagen peptide main sources
There are currently three main sources of raw materials for collagen peptide products:
-Bone and skin from cattle and sheep
Mainly extract collagen from the skin or bones of animals such as cattle and sheep.
-From pork bones and pig skin
Extract collagen from pig skin and bones.
-From marine fish skin
Extract the collagen from marine fish skin.
The difference between collagen and collagen peptide
Collagen is one of the hard proteins and the most abundant protein in the human body, accounting for about 25% of the total protein content. It is a structural protein of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of animal tissues. It mainly exists in animal skin, bones, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues. Collagen is biologically active, insoluble in cold water and hot water, and cannot be used by proteases.
However, under the condition of acid, alkali, enzyme or high temperature, the triple helical structure of collagen will disintegrate into 3 free peptide chain. It can be degraded into polypeptides or even small peptides, thus forming gelatin with relatively high molecular weight and collagen peptide with relatively low molecular weight. The properties of these products after collagen hydrolysis and the properties of collagen are different.
From collagen to collagen peptide, the main structure changes, which leads to differences in their performance. The supercoiled structure of collagen makes collagen molecules very stable. The relative molecular weight of a collagen molecule is about 300KDa, which has low immunogenicity, biocompatibility and degradability.
The structure of collagen molecules and collagen fibers makes it difficult for the body to digest and absorb collagen. These characteristics of collagen make it have great application potential in the field of biomedicine. However, this limits the application of collagen in health food and other fields.
Gelatin is a denatured product of collagen under the action of high temperature. It is a type of protein obtained by partial hydrolysis of collagen and has homology with collagen. Gelatin can be classified as collagen peptide and can be used by proteases. The molecular weight of gelatin of different specifications is generally 15000-250000 Da, and the relative molecular mass distribution is relatively wide. Gelatin has no biological activity due to the loss of the natural structure of collagen. These changes make the application of gelatin have a certain change compared with collagen.
Collagen peptide is the product of complete hydrolysis of collagen. The molecular weight of collagen peptide is smaller than that of gelatin, generally ranging from several thousand to several tens of thousands of daltons, and the relative molecular mass distribution is very wide. Like gelatin, collagen peptides no longer have biological activity. Similarly, changes in the structure and properties of collagen peptides make their application different from those of collagen and gelatin.
What are peptides?
Peptides are compounds composed of two or more to hundreds of amino acid molecules linked by peptide bonds, and are fragments of protein structure. It can mainly divide into:
- Small peptides, oligopeptides, and oligopeptides composed of 2-10 amino acids with a molecular weight range of 180-1000 Da, also called small molecule active peptides;
- A polypeptide composed of more than 10 amino acids with a molecular weight ranging between 180-5000 Da;
- Large peptides with a molecular range above 1000 Da to 5000 Da.
Based on the different types or numbers of amino acid residues, the chemical properties and functions of the peptides they constitute are different, and some are even quite different. There are thousands of peptides, and their functions are diverse.
A large number of experiments have shown that the main way for the body to absorb protein is not only in the form of amino acids, but more directly in the form of oligopeptides composed of 2-6 amino acids. Moreover, small peptides (such as dipeptides and tripeptides) are better than amino acids of the same composition in terms of gastrointestinal function and absorption rate, and have high bioavailability.
Different from the original protein and its corresponding amino acids, some low-molecular-weight peptides can provide nutrients needed for human growth and development, and exert significant application functions; they also have the functions of preventing and curing diseases and regulating the physiological functions of the human body.
Excellent Properties of Collagen Peptides
Collagen peptide is a product of collagen or gelatin as a raw material after being hydrolyzed by a variety of proteases in a directional gradient.
Collagen peptides are easily soluble in water. There is no precipitation in cold water, high temperature (200 degrees), and acid or alkali. The water-soluble viscosity is low, and it has fluidity even at high concentrations.
Collagen peptides are better than large molecular proteins and small molecular amino acids in applications such as health foods.
Excellent Properties
Collagen peptide has many excellent properties, such as
-Efficient absorption and utilization rate, higher than protein absorption rate, faster than small molecule amino acid absorption;
-No digestion, it can be directly absorbed in a complete form, and the absorption rate can reach 100%; compared with amino acids, it is active absorption, with low or zero energy consumption;
-Various kinds, up to thousands;
-No allergic reaction;
-Can help the absorption of other proteins
These excellent properties make collagen peptides have unlimited application potentials in many fields, especially in the fields of food health, beauty shaping and medical treatment.
Benefits of collagen peptide
Collagen peptide has many physiological regulating functions, including:
- Regulate human immunity,
- Anti-oxidation,
- Antitumor,
- Lowering blood pressure (ie inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme-ACE activity),
- Inhibit platelet aggregation,
- Lower cholesterol,
- Lose weight and lower blood fat,
- Healthy brain,
- Promote the absorption of calcium and other minerals, prevent and treat osteoporosis,
As well as hemostasis, antibacterial properties, relieve joint pain, prevent anemia, easy digestion and absorption, beauty, anti-aging, assist breast milk secretion, protect gastric mucosa, fight ulcers, promote skin collagen metabolism and so on.
With the continuous development and advancement of science and technology, the research and modification of collagen peptides can further expand its efficacy and applications to meet the needs of the market or clinical treatment.
Applications of collagen peptide
Health Food Application
The molecular size of collagen peptide is nanometer level. After oral administration, the absorption efficiency is high, and it is easily absorbed by the stomach, blood vessels and skin. In addition, collagen peptides can accumulate in cartilage after absorption and circulation in the human body, which can have a good relieving or even curing effect on joint diseases. Furthermore, its non-allergenicity and multiple physiological adjustment functions make it widely used in the field of health food.
It is now widely used in functional foods and protein drinks, such as beauty drinks, blood pressure, weight loss and joint health foods.
Collagen peptide can be directly absorbed into the blood, and the hydroxyproline contained in it can transport calcium in plasma to bone cells, so it can also be used as a good calcium supplement health food. Skin procollagen peptides play a very good role in improving skin texture and moisturizing the skin; bone collagen peptides have good nutrition and health effects for nerve recovery, osteoporosis, etc.
Oral collagen peptides can make the body more directly and effectively absorb effective ingredients, improve efficiency, and quickly replenish the substances needed for human tissue association; it can help the human body to absorb sufficient hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine to promote the body The synthesis of collagen can effectively avoid various diseases caused by the lack of collagen. Take it with hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) will reach a better result.
As the raw material for the body to synthesize collagen, collagen peptides can also carry or even directly transmit information. Moreover, it avoids digestion, so it can reduce the digestive burden of the gastrointestinal tract, which is beneficial to people with poor digestive function. In addition, for people with impaired amino acid transport system function, the intake of collagen oligopeptides can achieve a good absorption effect.
Collagen and its hydrolysate can also be used in food fillers, jellies, edible packaging materials such as casings/fish/meats, frozen food improvers, meat additives, beverage clarifiers, dairy additives and collagen snacks and so on.
Beauty Cosmetics Application
Collagen accounts for 70% of the skin, and 80% of the dermis is collagen. Collagen forms a fine elastic net in the skin, which locks moisture and supports the skin.
The loss of collagen will break the elastic net that supports the skin. The skin tissue will shrink and collapse. The skin will appear dry, rough, loose, wrinkled, enlarged pores, dullness, stains and other aging phenomena.
Therefore, timely supplement of collagen peptides has a very good effect on improving skin problems and delaying aging.
Since collagen peptides are similar to the natural collagen components in human skin, they have excellent moisturizing, water-locking, whitening, nourishing, skin care and anti-radiation effects as well as moisturizing hair. Moreover, it has a strong affinity and good permeability, can withstand rinsing treatment, and has good tissue repair properties.
In addition, collagen peptide has good compatibility with other raw materials. It can adjust and stabilize the pH value, and reduce the damage to skin and hair caused by irritating substances in cosmetics. Therefore, the application and development of collagen peptides in cosmetics has become increasingly widespread.
As a cosmetic raw material, it has been widely added to facial masks, skin care lotions, moisturizing and nutritious water, shampoo and hair care products, collagen injections and other methods to achieve remarkable beauty, scar removal, wrinkle removal and shaping effects, and it is safe toxic side effect.
For example, the use of medical collagen peptides to inject the depressed skin defect will exert its support and filling effect. At the same time induce the body’s own tissue reconstruction, so that the gradually generated new tissue can coordinate with the surrounding skin and effectively exert its orthopedic effect .
However, due to the barrier function of the skin, collagen peptides increase the content or conversion of skin collagen through external use. It affects The effect of participating in the synthesis of skin collagen. This limits the use of collagen peptides in a single form to achieve significant beauty and shaping effects. Therefore, taking collagen peptides can enhance the beauty effect.
A large number of studies have shown that the absorption and utilization rate of oral collagen peptides is good.
-It is easily absorbed and spread to the deep and surface layers of the skin;
-It can supplement beneficial amino acids, enhance skin collagen activity, maintain the integrity of collagen fibrils, and promote metabolism;
-Can provide the integrity of synthetic collagen fibers and promote metabolism;
-It can provide sufficient amount of amino acids and peptides for the synthesis of collagen in a reasonable ratio, which can promote the synthesis of skin collagen fibers and hyaluronic acid;
-Possesses a protein-specific approach;
-It has an improvement effect on the dermis and epidermis, can maintain the moisture of the stratum corneum and increase the moisture content of the skin, promote the proliferation of dermal cells, increase the activity of epidermal cells, and effectively improve the skin texture;
-Collagen contains tyrosine residues, which can bind to the active center of tyrosinase in the skin, inhibit the production of melanin, and achieve the effect of whitening the skin;
-Antioxidant, can inhibit MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase), prevent the destruction and degradation of collagen, protect the skin, and delay aging;
-Cost effective etc.
Therefore, the application prospect of collagen peptides in the field of cosmetics is very bright.
Biomedical field
The many excellent properties of collagen and its hydrolysates make it increasingly attractive in the field of biomedicine, especially biomedical materials.
The application potential of collagen peptides in the medical field is huge.
The many excellent properties of collagen and its hydrolysates make it increasingly attractive in the field of biomedicine, especially biomedical materials.
These excellent properties include bio-interpretability, affinity, resistance to originality, tissue fusion, hemostasis, superior biocompatibility, resistance to toxicity, and modification of specific functional groups (to optimize its performance or give special Function) and so on.
These excellent characteristics
-Can slow down the rate of biodegradation,
-Promote wound healing,
-Good effect in preventing and treating collagen diseases (such as arthritis),
-Support filling,
-Induction of cells and capillaries,
-Coordination with host cells and tissues,
-Excellent ductility and adhesion, etc.,
People use it for heart valves, cornea, monomer membranes of biosensors/reactors, artificial blood vessels, artificial bile ducts, tubular organs, collagen masks for eye surgery, wound and burn repair materials (collagen sponge), hemostatic agents, filters, Hemodialysis membranes, artificial lung membranes, artificial skins, artificial tendons or ligaments and other soft tissue substitutes, artificial plasma.
People also use it for drugs or immobilized enzyme carriers, gene delivery nanoparticles, extraction capsules, teeth and bone filling or repair materials, artificial bones, Bone cement, biological scaffold materials and surgical sutures are medium.
The application potential of collagen peptides in the medical field is huge.
Other fields
Collagen and its hydrolysates also have good prospects for development in other fields and are becoming more widespread.
Including textile industry, feed industry, paper industry, leather industry, daily chemical industry and fermentation industry and other industries and agriculture.
For example, in the textile industry, collagen can be high-performance and environmentally friendly “green fibers” after modification. Surfactant in daily chemical products, microbial fermentation medium in fermentation industry. There are also cigarette filters in the cigarette industry.
Prospect
The numerous excellent properties and wide applications of collagen peptides make it more and more attention-grabbing. Due to its wide variety, easy processing and modification, high quality and low price, safety and environmental protection, etc., it has huge development potential and broader development prospects in many fields. Collagen peptides have become daily necessities, loved by consumers, and demand is growing rapidly.
