The Microstructure and Potential of Chondroitin Sulfate in Shark Cartilage Extract

Shark (Prionace glauca) cartilage is an industrial waste of the frozen fish industry in Sidoarjo city. Previous studies indicate that the cartilage contains bioactive compounds, glucosamine, and chondroitin, but the extracted product is unstable (easily melted during storage) and smelly ammonia. This study aims to obtain a stable extract product without the smell of ammonia by adding different absorbers. The experiment used a Complete Randomized Design on applying absorbers, HPMC, Cab-Osil, and Avicel PH 101. The parameters measured were the yield and the organoleptic of the shark’s extract product. The microstructural observations used a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), while the chondroitin sulfate content analyses used high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Results showed that adding different absorbers significantly influenced the yield and organoleptic of the shark’s cartilage extract. The use of Avicel PH 101 (90%), Cab-Osil (9%), and Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) (1%) gave the highest amount of extract, as much as 5.02 g (16.73%). The organoleptic was without smelling salts, whitish beige color, and dry structure (stable). The microstructure of the shark’s cartilage extract product at this treatment had a dense structure with a soft surface. In contrast, the extract without an absorber addition had a sharp, needle-like microstructure. The chondroitin sulfate content of the shark’s cartilage extract product was the highest at this treatment.