Consortium: I.T.S. – Indústria Transformadora de Subprodutos, S.A. (Promotor Líder), SEBOL – Comércio e Indústria de Sebo, S.A., UP (ICBAS-UP), UCP (ESBUC).

ITS and SEBOL are two innovative companies distinguished by the production of peptides, from animal and marine by-products, for international markets of hydrolyzed products for animal feed. The opportunity to expand to higher-valued markets, prompted these companied to follow a new internal strategy to create differentiated products, targeted to new sectors of human food and cosmetics, as well as for aquaculture. In these sectors, the peptides from marine origin already show high potential, particularly the valorization of collagen peptides. In the case of aquaculture, this type of collagen peptide has never been tested, however, it seems a good market opportunity to explore.

Thus, the main objective of FISHCOLBOOSTER project is to valorize fish by-products rich in collagen (mainly fish bones and shark skin) through the development of integrated processing to obtain high-valued collagen hydrolysates. The project expects to obtain a separation process of bones and mix with skin, followed by the production of collagen hydrolysates combining a pre-hydrolysis with temperature and pressure, with an enzymatic hydrolysis by bromelain, obtained by a sustainable method. Additional valuable fractions will result from the process, such as hydroxyapatite and functional lipids, which will complete the full valorization of by-products. It is expected to obtain peptide hydrolysates of low molecular weight, with various biological activities (with emphasis on the antioxidant capacity and promotion of cell regeneration) and good bioavailability, both at the intestinal and skin levels. Formulations with these collagen peptides will be tested in diets for European sea bass to assess their potential to increase fish robustness, and its resistance to diseases responsible for high mortality rates in aquaculture. Also, as proof of concept of the new ingredients’ value, formulations and prototypes will be developed, combining calcium phosphate and collagen peptides, for the food area, and combining collagen peptides with functional lipids in cosmetics.

The strategic motivation and technological capacity of both companies to produce peptides from by-products, combined with the long-term experience of UCP in enzymatic hydrolysis, characterization of bioactive peptides and their applications in the areas of food and cosmetics, as well as with ICBAS expertise to assess the potential of these new ingredients in aquaculture will allow ITS and SEBOL to have international competitive advantage in the sector of bioactive peptides for application in three distinct areas: in cosmetics, food and aquaculture.

Scientific article:

- Velasco C, Resende D, Oliveira B, Canada P, Pereira M, Pereira C, Pintado M, Valente LMP. 2023. Dietary inclusion of blood hydrolysates affects muscle growth in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1193405