Comparative study of keratin extraction from human hair

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Protein Chemistry

Background:

• Keratin's stability and predictable degradation make it promising for tissue regeneration.
• Existing research demonstrates keratin's efficacy in various tissue models.
• A systematic comparison of human hair keratin extraction methods is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically compare four common keratin extraction methods from human hair.
• To analyze the physical and chemical differences in extracted keratin.
• To evaluate the impact of extraction methods on keratin properties for biomaterial applications.

Main Methods:

• Keratin extraction from human hair using sodium sulfide, peracetic acid, urea, and thioglycolic acid.
• Characterization of extracted keratin properties, including yield, crystallinity, aggregate size, and secondary structure.
• Assessment of keratin's effect on osteoblast proliferation in vitro.

Main Results:

• No specific trend was observed across all methods, but peracetic acid extraction yielded significantly different keratin.
• Peracetic acid resulted in the lowest yield (52 μg/mL), low crystallinity, and largest aggregates (283 nm).
• Despite aggregation differences, peracetic acid and thioglycolic acid methods yielded keratin with similar secondary structures. All extracted keratins promoted osteoblast proliferation.

Conclusions:

• Different extraction methods yield keratin with distinct physical and chemical properties.
• Peracetic acid extraction alters keratin aggregation and yield but maintains structural conformation.
• All tested keratin extraction methods are suitable for promoting osteoblast proliferation, indicating potential for tissue regeneration applications.