Jellyfish Collagen in the Mediterranean Spotlight: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

Special issue Marine Collagen: From Biological Insights to Biomedical Breakthroughs.-- 28 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables.-- Data Availability Statement: Data sharing is not applicable. No new data were created or analyzed in this study

Research increasingly highlights jellyfish as a sustainable alternative to other animal species, particularly for its collagen, which has versatile applications in blue biotechnology. This review explores the properties of jellyfish-derived collagen, extraction techniques, and its diverse industrial applications based on the current scientific literature. With a particular focus on research in the Mediterranean Sea, we underscore the role of the order Rhizostomeae as jellyfish species with high collagen content and provide an overview of the main sources for jellyfish harvesting, including active fishing, by-catch, and aquaculture. In the Mediterranean basin, the blooming species Rhizostoma pulmo, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, and Rhopilema nomadica represent a valuable opportunity to harness their nutraceutical benefits, as well as their potential for the development of biomaterials in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Although jellyfish fishing is not yet well-established in the region, ongoing collaborative projects with fishermen’s guilds are focused on promoting circular and blue economy strategies to valorize jellyfish as an innovative resource. Additionally, jellyfish aquaculture emerges as a promising alternative for ensuring a sustainable supply, with the Rhizostomeae Cassiopea spp. demonstrating significant potential for biotechnological applications

This research was part of the COLMED project developed with the collaboration of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of Spain, through the Pleamar Programme, and is co-financed by the European Union through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and also part of the grant JDC2023-052373-I funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the FSE+

With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

Peer reviewed