Extraction Methods, Characterization and Biomedical Applications of Collagen: a Review

It is difficult to develop a standard extraction method for all types of collagen from different tissues due to the extreme diversity of collagen types. Some procedures are based on the isolation of acid, pepsin, and enzymatic soluble collagen, showing certain advantages and disadvantages. Other methods were also optimized to partially purify collagen and extract it easier than the methods currently used. Indeed, this review describes some advantages and disadvantages of these isolation methods. Moreover, major biomedical applications of collagen were reported. Given the great importance of biocompatible matrices in tissue engineering, the availability of native collagen should be investigated by refining the collagen extraction procedure.