Potential BSE risk posed by the use of ruminant collagen and gelatine in feed for non-ruminant farmed animals

BSE risk posed by ruminant collagen and gelatine derived from bones

The European Commission requested an estimation of the BSE risk (C-, L- and H-BSE) from gelatine and collagen derived from ovine, caprine or bovine bones, and produced in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, or Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and its implementing Regulation (EU) No 142/2011. A quantitative risk assessment was developed to estimate the BSE infectivity, measured in cattle oral infectious dose 50 (CoID50), in a small size batch of gelatine including one BSE-infected bovine or ovine animal at the clinical stage. The model was built on a scenario where all ruminant bones could be used for the production of gelatine and high-infectivity tissues remained attached to the skull (brain) and vertebral column (spinal cord). The risk and exposure pathways defined for humans and animals, respectively, were identified. Exposure routes other than oral via food and feed were considered and discussed but not assessed quantitatively. Other aspects were also considered as integrating evidence, like the epidemiological situation of the disease, the species barrier, the susceptibility of species to BSE and the assumption of an exponential dose-response relationship to determine the probability of BSE infection in ruminants. Exposure to infectivity in humans cannot be directly translated to risk of disease because the transmission barrier has not yet been quantified, although it is considered to be substantial, i.e. much greater amounts of infectivity would be needed to successfully infect a human and greater in the oral than in the parenteral route of exposure. The probability that no new case of BSE in the cattle or small ruminant population would be generated through oral exposure to gelatine made of ruminant bones is 99%-100% (almost certain) This conclusion is based on the current state of knowledge, the epidemiological situation of the disease and the current practices, and is also valid for collagen.

Selection of collagen IV fragments forming the outer sphere of the native protein: Assessment of biological activity for regenerative medicine

The aim of this research was to select the fragments that make up the outer layer of the collagen IV (COL4A6) protein and to assess their potential usefulness for regenerative medicine. It was expected that because protein-protein interactions take place via contact between external domains, the set of peptides forming the outer sphere of collagen IV will determine its interaction with other proteins. Cellulose-immobilized protein fragment libraries treated with polyclonal anti-collagen IV antibodies were used to select the peptides forming the outer sphere of collagen IV. In the first test, 33 peptides that strongly interacted with the polyclonal anti-collagen IV antibodies were selected from a library of non-overlapping fragments of collagen IV. The selected fragments of collagen IV (cleaved from the cellulose matrix) were tested for their cytotoxicity, their effects on cell viability and proliferation, and their impact on the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The studies used RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells and Hs 680.Tr human fibroblasts. PrestoBlue, ToxiLight™, and ToxiLight 100% Lysis Control assays were conducted. The viability of fibroblasts cultured with the addition of increasing concentrations of the peptide mix did not show statistically significant differences from the control. Fragments 161-170, 221-230, 721-730, 1331-1340, 1521-1530, and 1661-1670 of COL4A6 were examined for cytotoxicity against BJ normal human foreskin fibroblasts. None of the collagen fragments were found to be cytotoxic. Further research is underway on the potential uses of collagen IV fragments in regenerative medicine.

Feasibility of Enzymatic Protein Extraction from a Dehydrated Fish Biomass Obtained from Unsorted Canned Yellowfin Tuna Side Streams: Part I

This study presents for the first time a scalable process for the extraction of valuable proteins starting from samples of unsorted mixed tuna scraps which were previously dehydrated by an industrial patented process. The aims of this work were both to avoid the onerous sorting step of tuna leftovers, which generally consists of isolating skin and bones for collagen/gelatin extraction, and to improve the logistic of managing highly perishable biomass thanks to the reduction in its volume and to its microbiological stabilization. In view of a zero-waste economy, all the protein fractions (namely, non-collagenous proteins NCs and ALKs, gelatin, and hydrolyzed gelatin peptides, HGPs) isolated in the proposed single cascade flowchart were stabilized and preliminarily characterized. The extraction flowchart proposed allows one to obtain the following most promising compounds: 1.7 g of gelatin, 3.2 g of HGPs, and 14.6 g of NCs per 100 g of dehydrated starting material. A focus on oven-dried gelatin was reported in terms of proximate analysis, amino acid composition, color parameters, FT-IR spectrum, pH, and viscoelastic properties (5 mPa·s of viscosity and 14.3 °C of gelling temperature). All the obtained extracts are intended to be exploited in food supplements, feed, fertilizers/plant bio-stimulants, packaging, and the cosmetic industry.

A Review of the Effects of Collagen Treatment in Clinical Studies

Collagen, an abundant extracellular matrix protein, has been found to have a lot of pharmaceuticals, medicine, food, and cosmetics applications. Increased knowledge of collagen sources, extraction techniques, structure, and properties in the last decades has helped develop more collagen-based products and tissue engineering biomaterials. Collagen products have been playing an important role in benefiting the health of the human body, especially for aging people. In this paper, the effects of collagen treatment in different clinical studies including skin regeneration, bone defects, sarcopenia, wound healing, dental therapy, gastroesophageal reflux, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis have been reviewed. The collagen treatments were significant in these clinical studies. In addition, the associations between these diseases were discussed. The comorbidity of these diseases might be closely related to collagen deficiency, and collagen treatment might be a good choice when a patient has more than one of these diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It concludes that collagen-based medication is useful in treating comorbid diseases and preventing complications.

Evaluation of the application for new alternative biodiesel production process for rendered fat including Category 1 animal by-products (BDI-RepCat® process, AT)

A new alternative method for the production of biodiesel from rendered fat, including animal by-product (ABP) Category 1 tallow, was evaluated. The method consists of a conversion phase, based on esterification and transesterification in a single step (at temperature ≥ 200°C, pressure ≥ 70 bar with a retention time ≥ 15 min), using MgO as a catalyst and in the presence of methanol (10-15%), followed by vacuum distillation (at ≥ 150°C, ≤ 10 mbar) of the end-product, biodiesel and the co-product, glycerine. Prions (PrPS c), which are abnormal isoforms of the prion protein, were considered by the applicant to be the most resistant hazard. In accordance with previous EFSA Opinions and current expert evaluation, a reduction in prion infectivity, or detectable PrPS c, of at least 6 log10 should be achieved for the process to be considered equivalent to the processing method laid down in the Regulation (EU) No 142/2011. Published data from an experimental replication of the conversion step of the biodiesel production process under consideration were provided, which showed an at least 6 log10 reduction in detectable PrPS c, by Western blot, in tallow that had been spiked with murine and human prion strains. In addition, it was demonstrated that the presence of methanol does not affect the recovery or detection of PrPS c from a biodiesel substrate. Based on scientific literature, the vacuum distillation step has been shown to be capable of achieving an additional 3 log10 reduction in PrPS c. Therefore, the proposed alternative method is considered to be at least equivalent to the processing method laid down in the legislation for the production of biodiesel from raw materials including Category 1 ABP.

Applications of marine collagens in bone tissue engineering

For decades, collagen has been among the most widely used biomaterials with several biomedical applications. Recently, researchers have shown a keen interest in collagen obtained from marine sources because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of extractability, safety, low immunogenicity, and low production costs. A wide variety of marine collagen-based scaffolds have been developed for bone tissue engineering, and these scaffolds display excellent biological effects. This review aims to provide an overview of the biological effects of marine collagen in bone engineering, such as promoting osteogenesis and collagen synthesis, inhibiting inflammation, inducing the differentiation of cartilage, and improving bone mineral density. Marine collagen holds great promise as a biomaterial in bone tissue engineering.