Valorization of Mussel Waste from the Romanian Black Sea Coast

Abstract

In this study the shells and byssus of Mytilus galloprovincialis, the mussels from the Romanian Black Sea coast were studied through biotechnological techniques, to determine if they can be highly economically valorized. The shells were processed in order to obtain calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and subsequently calcium chloride (CaCl2), natural compounds with multiple practical applications in the pharmaceutical industry, medicine, agriculture, animal husbandry, environment, etc. Calcium carbonate was obtained from mussel shells with a yield of 95.31%, and calcium chloride was obtained with a yield of 73.80% from CaCO3, percentages that support the efficiency of the biotechnological processes for obtaining these products.
The byssus collected from M. galloprovincialis was processed using a pepsin-aided extraction method, which allowed obtaining collagen with a yield of 27,56%. Mussel byssus is a waste and may provide an alternative to other types of existing collagen from animal sources with different applications in pharmaceutical industry, tissue engineering, medical field, food industry, cosmetics.