Preparation and comparison of two medical dressings made from the collagens from fish and bovine

Collagen is used in medical dressings because of its high hydrophilicity, low immunogenicity, excellent biocompatibility, and degradability. These features can promote cell proliferation and platelet agglomeration. Herein, we studied the preparation of gel dressing by using silver carp skin collagen and bovine collagen as raw materials. Their properties and the application effects of collagen gel dressing were evaluated and compared. The centrifugal stability, rheology, and water-loss rate of silver carp skin collagen gel (SCG) and bovine tendon collagen gel (CTG) were determined. Results showed that the two gels were stable, and SCG had better rheology and ductility than CTG. However, the denaturation temperature and water-retention rate of SCG were slightly lower than those of CTG. Two collagen gels were used in the burn-repair experiment of KM mice. Results showed that the SCG and CTG were consistent with the wound-repair effect of commercially available products for shallow II-degree scald and deep II-degree scald. In the superficial shallow II scald experiment, SCG had a faster healing rate in the first 8 days and a shorter recovery time than CTG. In the deep II-degree scald experiment, the wound-healing rate of SCG on the 14th day reached 94.24%, which was 2 days faster than the recovery time of CTG. Moreover, the skin after wound healing was shallower than the scar produced after CTG treatment. Therefore, SCG had the potential to be used as the medical dressing.