Keratin
Keratin extraction
Keratin has been extracted from animal hard tissues including wool, feathers, hooves, and horns especially for use in the cosmetic industry. Keratin serves important structural and protective functions, particularly in the epithelium.
Some keratins have also been found to regulate key cellular activities, such as cell growth and protein synthesis. Keratin comes in two forms, powder & liquid form. Keratin is completely insoluble in cold or hot water. The length of Keratin fibers depends on their water content.
Keratin proteins can be subdivided into alpha-keratins and beta-keratins. The secondary structure of α-keratin is very similar to that of a traditional protein α-helix and forms a coiled-coil. Alpha-keratins are found in the hair, the skin, and the wool of mammals. It is primarily fibrous and helical in structure. Beta-keratins occur in birds and reptiles, consisting of parallel sheets of polypeptide chains.
Benefits of Keratin
Alpha-keratin will help to repair, rescue, and renew hair, suffering from chemical or environmental damages and in turn leaving beautiful and amazingly healthy hair.
Hard alpha-keratins which are found in nails have higher cysteine content in their primary structure. This causes an increase in disulfide bonds that are able to stabilize the keratin structure, allowing it to resist a higher level of force before fracture.
On the other hand, soft alpha-keratins found in the skin, contain a comparatively smaller amount of disulfide bonds, making their structure more flexible.
Applications of Keratin
Keratin from feathers is used to make films, fibers, hydrogels, micro and nanoparticles for the purpose of food, cosmetology, medical, textile, composite, agriculture and other industries.
Due to its inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability behaviors, keratin is found to be very useful for a wide range of biomedical applications, such as bone and cartilage tissue engineering, ocular regeneration, skin replacement, controlled drug delivery, and nerve regeneration.
Keratins and keratin-based materials are particularly suitable for wound healing purposes, and some products for the treatment of burns and acute/chronic wound.
All kinds of hair care products including shampoos, hair conditioners, hair balms, hair pomades, and also skincare products including lotions and creams. Keratin has extensive applications in the cosmetic industry.
