Histological and histochemical analysis to identify type I and III collagen in the skins of different shark species
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20950/1678-2305/bip.2026.52.e980Keywords:
External coating, Histology, Elasmobranchs, Tissue engineering, Vital proteinsAbstract
During fishing activities, solid waste such as shark skin is often discarded by the processing industry, contributing to environmental pollution and representing the loss of a material with high biotechnological potential, especially as a source of collagen. The objective of this research was to characterize the structure of the skin and identify the types of collagen present in four shark species: Rhizoprionodon lalandii, Squalus albicaudus, Sphyrna lewini, and Squatina guggenheim. The samples were obtained from artisanal fishing in the municipality of Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, and specimens provided by the Santos Fisheries Institute, São Paulo, all from bycatch and already dead. For histological analysis, tissue fragments were collected from the left side of the animals and stained with haematoxylin-eosin, Masson’s trichrome and Picrosirius red. The results revealed structures already described in the literature, such as mucus, epidermis, dermis, muscle fiber, haemolymphatic vessels and type I collagen, in addition to the presence of type III collagen, not yet evidenced. The result reinforces the high healing capacity of sharks, highlighting the thicker and more resistant skin, with more condensed collagen in S. guggenheim, a demersal species, and the preservation of mucus in S. lewini, associated with the accumulation of collagen fiber, broadening prospects for future biomedical applications.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jéssica Ataide Batista Nigro, Sophia da Silva Vidal, Carlos Eduardo Malavasi Bruno, Eliana de Fátima Marques de Mesquita
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