Gelatin extracted from jundiá skin (Rhamdia quelen): An alternative to the discarded by-product

The production of gelatin from by-products of the fishing industry values ​​the discarded raw material and serves a part of the population that does not consume products originating from mammals. Therefore, the objective of the research was to use the jundiá skin (Rhamdia quelen) (JS) to obtain gelatin (GJS) and characterize this product, not yet studied until the present moment. Thus, the extraction process showed a yield of 7.3 % for JS and 18.2 % for GJS (in wet weight). Both JS and GJS presented, in their composition, high concentration of protein (26.3 and 88.1 %), low levels of fixed mineral residue (1.0 and 1.9 %), lipids (1.7 and 1.5 %) and hydroxyproline content (1.5 and 7.2 %), respectively. The GJS dispersion had a pH value of 4.7 and the color analysis indicated a snow effect with a white appearance. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed amide bands commonly found in gelatin, gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed high molecular weight bands, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed a denaturation temperature of 69.4 °C and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a compact and non-porous structure. The emulsifying property was high when subjected to a temperature of 80 °C for 30 min, while the foaming capacity was significant at a concentration of 1 %. The highest dispersivity was observed at pH 2.0 and, in this condition, the viscosity was higher than that of other gelatin sources (25.5 cP). In view of the above, attention is drawn to the use of JS as a raw material for obtaining gelatin and for the various possibilities of application.