Feasibility of collagens obtained from bester sturgeon Huso huso × Acipenser ruthenus for industrial use

To increase the value of bester sturgeon (a hybrid of Huso huso × Acipenser ruthenus) and promote development of the sturgeon aquaculture industry, this study assessed the feasibility of using collagens from bester sturgeon by-products for industrial applications. We first found that individual stable characteristics in terms of yield, amino acid composition, thermal stability, and fibril-forming ability of bester skin collagen (SC), swim bladder collagen (SBC), and notochord collagen (NC) were comparable with those of the beluga and sterlet, the purebred parental species of bester sturgeon. In addition, seasonal variations in these factors were not evident, except for the fibril-forming ability of SC, which showed significant seasonal differences. In the summer, slower fibril formation with smaller individual variations was detected compared with winter for SC. Overall, the quality of products produced from bester sturgeon collagens was stable for industrial use, but batchwise certification of the fibril-forming ability of SC is essential if the products are to be used in fibril form, as in the case of collagen for tissue engineering scaffolds. Second, we determined that the optimal temperature for extracting SC, SBC, and NC was 4 °C, 4 °C, and 20 °C, respectively. We also found that the high endotoxin content of NC could be reduced by pretreatment with 80% ETOH-0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M NaOH. This study suggests that industrial use of collagens from bester sturgeon is feasible.