When developing a new collagen product, what should finished product manufacturers keep in mind? Mónica Gómez Navarro, marketing manager – branded ingredients, with Bioiberica, pointed out that innovation in the collagen market has come a long way. “Cutting-edge extraction and purification techniques have supported the commercialization of many collagen ingredients over the years—all bringing unique benefits across different health areas, including joints, mobility and beauty. But should we be calling these molecules ‘collagen’ at all?” she said.

She explained, the main characteristic of collagen is its three-dimensional triple helix structure consisting of three polypeptide chains. Yet ‘collagen’ is being used as an umbrella term for ingredients with completely different structures, compositions and biological effects.

“Take hydrolyzed collagen, for instance,” Navarro said. “Whereas collagen in its native triple helix form is a complete protein, hydrolyzed collagen is made up of fragments of that protein – a mixture of amino acids and peptides – made by breaking down animal collagen via enzymatic hydrolysis. The ‘native collagen helix’ has a very specific effect in the body. However, some collagen manufacturers ‘cut’ native collagen to obtain hydrolyzed collagen. The mechanism of action for hydrolyzed collagen is completely different to the complete protein, and the end benefit depends entirely on the peptide fractions present.

“There is also an increasing number of products marketed as ‘veggie’ and ‘vegan collagen’ entering the space, which don’t contain any collagen proteins or peptides at all. This includes collagen boosters—a mix of different nutrients that support collagen production in the body – and collagen analogues or synthetic amino acids, which mimic the composition of collagen.

“Our top tips for functional food and supplement manufacturers therefore are; to get clear on collagen types, identify the best collagen source for the application, which, if hydrolyzed, must be validated for its bioactive peptide content, confirm the molecule’s specific mechanism of action and beneficial effect, verify the science that backs that up, and communicate all of the above to consumers keen for clear collagen benefits.”

For more information, visit www.bioiberica.com.

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