Pineapple Core Boosts Collagen Extraction From Beef Bones by Up to 2.3 Times

Pineapple core can increase the amount of collagen extracted from beef bones by up to 2.3 times, a study found.

The Rural Development Administration said on the 6th that it had confirmed the potential to increase collagen extraction from beef bones, a slaughterhouse byproduct, by using pineapple core, a fruit-processing byproduct, and to use the materials as new raw materials.

Collagen is used as a raw material in the food, cosmetics and biotechnology industries, and can also be extracted from beef bones. However, beef bones are hard and contain high levels of minerals such as calcium, so they must be crushed and undergo several processing steps to remove noncollagen proteins and calcium, followed by treatment with acid and proteolytic enzymes. Commercial enzymes such as pepsin have been used in this process.

The researchers focused on the fact that pineapple core contains bromelain, which breaks down proteins. They ground and filtered pineapple core, then centrifuged it to make a crude enzyme extract containing bromelain. They treated beef bones separately with this extract and with pepsin, then compared the amount of collagen extracted.

The amount of collagen in the group treated with pineapple core extract was about twice that in the pepsin-treated group, and was up to 2.3 times greater.

The collagen also differed in form. The group treated with pineapple core extract yielded relatively small collagen fragments with a uniform, fine structure. Small, uniform collagen disperses well in water and is easy to mix with other ingredients, making it suitable for use in a range of materials, including food and cosmetics.

The study is significant because it maximized collagen extraction by combining beef bones from slaughterhouses with pineapple core left over from fruit processing. The findings were published in the international journal 'LWT-Food Science and Technology (IF 7.1),' and a patent application for the related technology has been filed.

Kang Geun-ho, director of the Livestock Food Tech Division at the National Institute of Animal Science under the Rural Development Administration, said, "This study confirmed the potential to increase the extraction of collagen raw materials by combining beef bones and pineapple core." He added, "We will examine the functions and industrial applications of collagen derived from beef bones and develop technologies that can increase the value of slaughterhouse byproducts."