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Description
Physalia Physalis project aims to take advantage of the potential existing in one of the most dangerous and valuable marine species that occupy our oceans – the Portuguese-man-of-war, by developing a mass extraction process of collagen for commercial purposes (new products for medical and cosmetic industry). It is also intended to extract other toxins with interest for industries such as biomedicine and pharmaceuticals. For this, a consortium composed of 4 key entities was assembled: two Portuguese Research Centres (Centro de Biotecnologia dos Açores - University of Azores and Centro de Engenharia Biológica - University of Minho), one Norwegian Research Institute (Nofima - The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research), and a Portuguese company dedicated to the creation and commercialisation of high-quality cosmetic products (Mesosystem).
The project will start by the optimization of the extraction of collagen and other toxins from the P. Physalis (A1). Subsequently, it would be required to prepare collagen oligopeptide-rich hydrolysates and perform its functional evaluation (A2) to assess the hydrolysates bioactivities. Then, Mesosystem will lead the development of cosmetic formulations and new products for skin regeneration (A3) using the collagen hydrolysates previously produced. Simultaneously, the extraction of other toxins will be assessed (A4), trying to identify toxins with potential to be applied in cosmetic and health industries. The laboratory work performed regarding the extraction of collagen will conduct to the development of a small pilot plant-system (A5) at Nofima facilities for mass-production of collagen. Finally, A6 is devoted to the project management and dissemination. Nofima will have a critical role in the execution of the pilot plants since they have the expertise and proper facilities that make it possible to carry out experiments and to test extraction and hydrolysis methods tested at lab scale in University of Minho.
Summary of project results
The project focused on optimizing collagen and gelatin extraction processes from Physalia physalis biomass, aiming to develop sustainable methods suitable for industrial applications. The extraction of acetic acid-soluble collagen (ASC) followed by pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) extraction revealed varying yields and properties, with PSC showing promise due to its improved solubility. Gelatin extraction experiments underscored the potential of utilizing residual materials effectively, yielding substantial amounts of gelatin with minimal waste.
The project successfully completed several key tasks, advancing our understanding and capabilities in marine organism collection, toxin separation, and collagen extraction.
Organism Collection and Toxin Separation; Enhanced Collagen Extraction Protocol; Production of Collagen Oligopeptides; Bioactivity Assessment of Collagen Oligopeptides; Transcriptional Profile of Epidermal Cells; Formulations for Biomedical Applications; Identification of Venom Toxins by Genomics; Identification of Venom Toxins by Proteomics; Purification of Toxins with Putative Activity; Characterization of Relevant Toxins; Separation and Filtration; Dialysis and Diafiltration; Drying; Scaling Up Considerations.
This project contributes valuable insights into sustainable biomaterial extraction from marine organisms, highlighting challenges in scaling processes and optimizing extraction methods for industrial applications. Future research should focus on refining separation techniques, exploring advanced filtration and drying methods, and aligning extraction strategies with specific product requirements and sustainability goals.
Summary of bilateral results
In conclusion, the study provides valuable insights into sustainable biomaterial extraction from Physalia physalisbiomass, emphasizing the complexities and challenges in scaling processes for industrial applications. The findingsunderscore the importance of optimizing extraction methods, refining separation techniques, and evaluating dryingmethods to meet commercial demands while ensuring economic and environmental sustainability. Future researchefforts should focus on addressing these challenges to advance the utilization of marine-derived biomaterials in variousindustrial sectors effectively.