Elastin, macromelcular, 1 g

Elastin is one of the most important structural proteins in connective tissue and plays a central role in the elasticity and mechanical resilience of biological tissues. It is a major component of elastic fibers, which, together with fibrillin, form a three-dimensional network that allows tissues to stretch and subsequently return to their original shape. Due to this property, elastin is of particular interest in materials science for the development of highly elastic biomaterials.

In contrast to many other proteins, elastin can hardly be regenerated. Degradation caused by aging, UV radiation, or oxidative stress leads to an irreversible reduction in tissue elasticity, wrinkle formation, and scarring. Due to this limited regenerative capacity, elastin is a key target in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, for example in vascular grafts, skin substitutes, or elastic hydrogels. In addition, elastin is of great interest in cosmetics, as its stimulation or stabilization helps maintain skin elasticity and counteracts wrinkle formation.

Macromolecular elastin is a highly crosslinked, insoluble structural protein of the extracellular matrix that is formed through the assembly and crosslinking of its soluble precursor, tropoelastin. Due to its structure, it exhibits the characteristic mechanical properties and a high functional similarity to native elastin in tissues.

The product has a high protein content (≥ 0.9 g protein per 1 g) as well as a high proportion of essential amino acids.