Reaproveitamento de retalhos gerados na produção de cápsulas moles para obtenção de colágeno hidrolisado

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable alternatives for the utilization of industrial waste has encouraged the development of processes aimed at adding value to protein-rich by-products. In this context, the present study evaluated the feasibility of obtaining hydrolyzed collagen from scraps generated during the production of soft gelatin capsules (softgels), contributing to the valorization of this industrial residue and the reduction of environmental impacts. Initially, softgel solutions were prepared at different concentrations (6%, 12%, and 24% w/w), followed by protein precipitation through the controlled addition of ethanol at different concentrations. The precipitated material was separated by filtration, dried, and subjected to yield determination. Subsequently, the recovered precipitate was submitted to alkaline hydrolysis using sodium hydroxide solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 mol/L under controlled temperature conditions of approximately 77 °C, while pH was monitored throughout the reaction. The results demonstrated that both ethanol concentration and softgel concentration significantly influenced the precipitation yield, with values ranging from 33.36% to 76.02%. The highest material recovery was achieved in experiments conducted with higher softgel concentrations, indicating that increased protein content favors protein aggregation and precipitation. Furthermore, alkaline hydrolysis proved to be a promising alternative for converting the recovered protein fraction into protein hydrolysate, highlighting the potential use of this residue as a raw material for higher value-added applications. The findings indicate that softgel scraps represent a viable source for the production of hydrolyzed collagen, contributing to circular economy strategies and the valorization of industrial waste.