3.1 Characterization of Collagen
When the pH of their respective solutions was adjusted, both anglerfish collagen (AC) and bovine collagen (BC) formed gel structures through self-assembly. This gel morphology arises from the aggregation and self-assembly of collagen molecules, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional network structure [25]. The slight color differences observed between the two may be attributed to variations in the raw material source [9, 26].
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations at magnifications corresponding to 2 µm and 1 µm scales revealed that both anglerfish-derived and bovine collagen exhibited fibrous porous architectures, forming honeycomb-like networks (Fig. 1A and B). Comparative analysis revealed that the collagen fiber distribution in bovine collagen (BC) exhibited a denser microstructure. In contrast, anglerfish collagen (AC) exhibited fewer collagen fibrils with a more loosely arranged architecture. Furthermore, measurements indicated that the average diameter of anglerfish collagen fibers was approximately 172 nm, while the average diameter of bovine collagen was approximately 139 nm (Fig. 1E and F), AC displayed collagen fibers with significantly greater diameter.
Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum analysis of colloids is a technique used to study the absorption of molecules with conjugated structures. The UV spectra of both anglerfish collagen and bovine collagen showed light absorption in the 190–320 nm range, with the maximum absorption peaks occurring at around 226 nm for anglerfish collagen and 225 nm for bovine collagen, which are typical absorption bands for collagen (Fig. 2A). Although the UV spectra of the two types of collagen show differences, implying variations in their molecular structures, these differences are primarily determined by the amino acid composition. Therefore, the distinct UV spectra likely reflect differences in the types and quantities of amino acids, but further experimental verification is needed to confirm these variations [9]. Collagen is rich in amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which exhibit characteristic UV absorption. The typical absorption peaks of collagen observed at 220–240 nm are attributed to the C = O, —COOH, and CONH2 groups in the peptide bonds [23, 27, 28].
The structures of collagen were studied using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. In the Fig. 2B, all samples exhibited characteristic peaks of typical collagen amide A, B, I, II, and III bands. The infrared spectra of the two types of collagen were similar but showed certain differences.The absorption peaks observed at 3000–3500 cm⁻¹ are attributed to the stretching vibration of the N-H band in Amide A [1, 29]. The specific amide A peaks for anglerfish and bovine collagen were located at 3290 cm⁻¹ and 3303 cm⁻¹, respectively, indicating the presence of hydrogen bonding within the collagen molecules [1]. The amide B band, associated with the asymmetric stretching vibration of CH2 groups and reflecting the tertiary structure of collagen, showed absorption peaks for anglerfish and bovine collagen at 3076 cm⁻¹ and 3079 cm⁻¹, respectively [1, 30]. The absorption peak at 1600 ~ 1690 cm− 1 corresponds to the C-O stretching vibration of Amide I, which generally had the highest transmittance at 1639 cm− 1. It is the most prominent absorption band in the infrared spectrum of collagen. In the triple helix structure of collagen, the presence and position of the Amide I band can reflect the conformation and stability of collagen. The absorption peaks at 1480 ~ 1575 cm − 1 correspond to the N-H bending vibration and C-N stretching vibration of amide II, and the transmittance is generally highest at 1542 and 1546 cm− 1, which is helpful for further confirming the triple-helical structure of collagen [29].The absorption peak at 1229 ~ 1301 cm− 1 corresponded to the C - N stretching vibration of Amide III. Amide III had the highest transmittance at 1237 cm− 1, and its position and intensity can also provide additional evidence for the triple helix structure of collagen [26].The differences between anglerfish collagen and bovine collagen in the amide I, II, and III bands are not significant. The amide I, II, and III of anglerfish collagen were 1636, 1543, and 1238 cm− 1, respectively, while the amide I, II, and III of bovine collagen were located at 1633, 1549, and 1240 cm− 1, respectively. Amide I, II, and III bands correspond to different vibration modes and types of chemical bonds. The presence and characteristics of these amide bands can be used to confirm the complete triple helix structure of collagen [31].
Furthermore, to further analyze the secondary structure differences between AC and BC, the secondary structure patterns of collagen were determined using PeakFit 4.12 software and Gaussian peak fitting algorithms based on the data (Fig. 2C and D). The amide I band corresponds to the stretching vibration of C = O, which can maintain the structural pattern that stabilized the collagen triple helix [23, 26]. This spectral region is used for the analysis of collagen secondary structures, including β-sheet (1600–1640 cm− 1), random coil (1640–1650 cm− 1), α-helix (1680–1700 cm− 1), and β-turn (1660–1700 cm− 1). The fitting data showed that anglerfish collagen and bovine collagen contained 15.6% and 16% α-helix, and 37.5% and 42.9% β-sheet, respectively. Due to their high stability and regularity, α-helix and β-sheets are considered ordered secondary structures [32]. AC and BC contained 26.9% and 20.3% β-turn, as well as 20% and 20.8% random coil, respectively. β-turn and random coil, due to their relatively flexible and unordered characteristics, are generally considered to be disordered secondary structures [32]. These structures together determine the shape and function of the protein.
Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy characterizes protein secondary structures by quantifying differential absorption of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light [33, 34]. The triple-helical structure of native collagen exhibits unique optical activity, with its secondary structural characteristics being highly similar to the polyproline type II (PPII) helix [35–37]. As shown in Fig. 2E and F, the secondary structure of type I collagen exhibited a clear CD transition. Anglerfish collagen showed a positive absorption band at 219 nm and a negative absorption band at 200 nm, with an Rpn of 0.20. For bovine collagen, the maximum and minimum CD spectra were observed at 221 nm (positive absorption band) and 201 nm (negative absorption band), with an Rpn of 0.19. Both AC and BC exhibit characteristic CD spectra, confirming their triple-helical structures [36].
DSC was utilized to measure the thermal denaturation temperatures of both anglerfish collagen and bovine collagen. When the temperature exceeds the thermal denaturation temperature (Tm) of collagen, the hydrogen bonds stabilizing the native triple helix rupture, leading to structural unwinding and dissociation into individual α-chains or partially folded β-chain aggregates [31]. The DSC curves of the two collagens, shown in Fig. 3A and B, revealed that anglerfish collagen had a thermal denaturation temperature peaking at 21.1 ℃, while bovine collagen's thermal denaturation temperature was approximately 38.1 ℃. Previous studies have shown that the thermal denaturation temperature of collagen is positively correlated with its imino acid content, including proline and hydroxyproline [38, 39]. Hydroxyproline, in particular, plays a critical role in stabilizing the collagen triple helix, and the higher the degree of hydroxylation, the higher the collagen denaturation temperature [28, 38, 40]. Bovine collagen exhibited superior thermal properties compared to anglerfish collagen, likely due to its higher proline content. Furthermore, the difference in thermal denaturation temperatures between the two types of collagen may be attributed to variations in the source location of the raw materials, moisture content, and the environmental and physiological temperatures of the organisms [31, 38]. The subsequent change in the heat absorption peak observed in the DSC analysis may indicate the melting absorption peak of collagen. During the heating process, collagen’s molecular chains begin to undergo significant flow and destruction, resulting in the loss of its original structure and properties. This ultimately leads to the loss of its biological activity, mechanical properties, and chemical stability [29].
As shown in Fig. 4, the electrophoretic patterns of anglerfish collagen and bovine collagen after high-temperature treatment clearly display the composition of their collagen subunits. When compared with the Marker (0-180 kDa), the electrophoresis results of both types of collagen indicated the presence of different α-chains (specifically α1 and α2 chains), which are the fundamental building blocks of collagen. Additionally, dimeric β-chain, formed by intramolecular cross-linking of collagen, were observed in the electrophoretic profiles of both anglerfish and bovine collagen [38]. The presence of the characteristic β-chain further confirmed that both types of collagen belong to type I collagen. Upon high-temperature treatment, the triple helix structure is disrupted, allowing the α chains and β chain formed by their cross-linking to be separated and observed in the electrophoresis analysis. The protein bands in the electrophoresis results were clear, with no trailing bands, indicating that no collagen fragments with molecular weights lower than those of the α and β chains were present. This observation suggests that during the extraction, purification, and high-temperature treatment of collagen, the collagen molecules maintained their structural integrity without significant degradation [9]. This finding further verifies the purity of the extracted collagen [31]. It is also worth noting that the positions of the α1 and α2 chains of anglerfish collagen (AC) are close to each other, indicating that the molecular weights of the two peptide chains are similar [2]. In contrast, the positions of the α1 and α2 chains of bovine collagen (BC) are somewhat further apart, indicating that the molecular weights of these peptide chains are slightly different.
The amino acid composition and content of anglerfish collagen and bovine collagen were systematically analyzed (Fig. 5), and both samples had similar amino acid compositions, although the proportions were slightly different. Both collagen samples had the highest percentage of glycine, which aligns with previous studies in the literature [38, 41, 42]. Other amino acids found in significant proportions included alanine, proline, and alanine [20]. These hydrophilic amino acids can form hydrogen bonds, which help prevent protein molecules from aggregating and undergoing condensation or denaturation [20]. This is crucial for maintaining the triple-helix structure of collagen [41]. Notably, hydroxyproline is formed by the hydroxylation of proline. Thus, in this experiment, the proline content corresponds to the sum of proline and hydroxyproline [38]. It is well established that the content of subamino acids, such as proline and hydroxyproline, is vital for maintaining the structural integrity of collagen and enhancing the stability of its triple helix [16]. This structure is a key marker of collagen's stability and bioactivity, and the content of these subamino acids is often used as an indicator of collagen quality [27]. These amino acids contribute to collagen’s hydrogen bonding and increased thermal stability [38, 41]. Given that the content of subamino acids is closely linked to collagen's thermal stability, the lower thermal stability observed in anglerfish collagen compared to bovine collagen suggests that the living environment of the organisms plays an important role in determining the proportion of these subamino acids in collagen [27, 41]. Additionally, AC contains a higher proportion of serine, while BC is richer in isoleucine and leucine. The presence of serine may enhance collagen's adaptability to cold-water environments, as it can maintain hydrogen bond integrity while conferring greater structural flexibility to the collagen [43–45]. Additionally, anglerfish collagen contains significantly lower levels of isoleucine than bovine collagen, a difference that may be related to their distinct collagen sources.
BC demonstrated greater resistance to type I collagenase degradation than AC under identical 37 ℃ treatment conditions (Fig. 6), as evidenced by significantly lower degradation rates. This differential stability stems from distinct amino acid profiles - the elevated proline and hydroxyproline content in BC reinforces triple-helical stability via hydrogen-bonding networks and conformational constraints, while reduced hydroxyproline in AC decreases helical stability, promoting unwinding and cleavage site exposure that accelerates degradation [46, 47].