Gelatin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amino acid composition
Although gelatin is 98-99% protein by dry weight, it has less nutritional value than many other complete protein sources. Gelatin is unusually high in the non-essential amino acids glycine and proline (i.e., those produced by the human body), while lacking certain essential amino acids (i.e., those not produced by the human body). It contains no tryptophan and is deficient in isoleucine, threonine, and methionine.
The approximate amino acid composition of gelatin is:
Gelatin is also a topical haemostatic. A piece of gelatin sponge of appropriate size is applied on bleeding wound, pressed for some time and tied in bandage. Haemostatic action is based on platelets damage at the contact of blood with gelatin, which activates the coagulation cascade. Gelatin also causes a tamponading effect - blood flow stoppage into a blood vessel by a constriction of the vessel by an outside force.[14][page needed]
It has been claimed that oral gelatin consumption has a beneficial therapeutic effect on hair loss in both men and women.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]In addition there are scientific publications that present evidence that consumption of oral gelatin has beneficial effect for some fingernail changes and diseases.[23][24][25][26]
Amino acid composition
Although gelatin is 98-99% protein by dry weight, it has less nutritional value than many other complete protein sources. Gelatin is unusually high in the non-essential amino acids glycine and proline (i.e., those produced by the human body), while lacking certain essential amino acids (i.e., those not produced by the human body). It contains no tryptophan and is deficient in isoleucine, threonine, and methionine.
The approximate amino acid composition of gelatin is:
- glycine 21%,
- proline 12%,
- hydroxyproline 12%,
- glutamic acid 10%,
- alanine 9%,
- arginine 8%,
- aspartic acid 6%,
- lysine 4%,
- serine 4%,
- leucine 3%,
- valine 2%,
- phenylalanine 2%,
threonine 2%, i - soleucine 1%,
hydroxylysine 1%,
methionine and histidine
<1% and tyrosine <0.5%.
Gelatin is also a topical haemostatic. A piece of gelatin sponge of appropriate size is applied on bleeding wound, pressed for some time and tied in bandage. Haemostatic action is based on platelets damage at the contact of blood with gelatin, which activates the coagulation cascade. Gelatin also causes a tamponading effect - blood flow stoppage into a blood vessel by a constriction of the vessel by an outside force.[14][page needed]
It has been claimed that oral gelatin consumption has a beneficial therapeutic effect on hair loss in both men and women.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]In addition there are scientific publications that present evidence that consumption of oral gelatin has beneficial effect for some fingernail changes and diseases.[23][24][25][26]
