RESUMO
Obtaining collagen from rabbit meat, skin and ears is a great way to add value to these by-products. The collagen extracts from meat, skin, and ear showed high levels of protein 80.7, 95.5, and 94.5% and yields of 9.0, 24.4, and 23.8% on a dry basis, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the collagens mainly consist of type I collagen, and the FTIR spectra displayed the characteristic peaks of amide A, B, I, II, and III; in addition, the collagens showed greater solubility in acidic pH. The foam production capacity of the collagens was low compared with other collagen sources. However, foam rabbit-collagen stability was high. The emulsifying activity index for the meat, skin, and ears was 44.7, 46.6, and 48.2 m2/g, respectively. Based on the results, the meat, skin, and ears of the rabbit proved to be a viable source for collagen extraction and a possible alternative to add value to the by-products (skin and ears) of these raw materials.