Fish Collagen Hydrolysates in Wound Healing: A Patent Review

The wound healing process typically consists of four stages; however, it can be delayed by several external factors, including bacterial contamination, irritation from dressings, and internal conditions such as diabetes, etc. These challenges have driven a growing interest in advanced dressings incorporating bioactive materials, which can protect the wound while simultaneously promoting healing. Collagen peptides derived from collagen hydrolysis have gained increasing attention in this context due to their bioactive properties. Notably, fish collagen has gained prominence in recent years due to its favorable profile compared to traditional sources. These attributes make fish collagen peptides highly advantageous for use in wound care. In this context, literature and patent searches were conducted to assess the application of these materials in the context of biomaterial production and wound healing. An initial screening resulted in 289 patents from the European Patent Office and Cortellis Drug Discovery Intelligence, of which 10 were deemed eligible. The largest concentration of patents originated in China (n = 6), Japan and Taiwan (n = 2 for both). These patents focused on topical cosmetics and oral formats, which are cosmetic products without a primary focus on therapeutic use. The effects cited in the patents include cell and collagen proliferation, skin hydration, scar repair, antiaging, antioxidant activity, etc. Therefore, it was concluded that there has been an increase in the application of collagen peptides in recent years and that there are several benefits regarding the appearance and repair of the skin, making it interesting to conduct in-depth future research, including clinical trials.