The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 16th that it has signed an export contract worth around $500,000 utilizing by-products from fisheries for bio-pharmaceuticals and functional cosmetics.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has been conducting the "Development of Bio-Material Technology Utilizing Marine By-Products" project since 2022 to commercialize high-value products using fish heads and seaweed roots among other marine by-products.
Through this project, a research team led by Dr. Oh Cheol-hong from the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology has developed domestic technology to effectively produce "Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN)" and "proteoglycan" using salmon by-products in collaboration with the Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) and Organ Eco Tech.
PDRN is a fragment of DNA that is primarily extracted from salmon testes. It is being developed for purposes such as cell regeneration, wound healing, exfoliation, wrinkle improvement, skin whitening, hair growth, and prevention of hair loss.
Proteoglycan is a substance that is a combination of the component chondroitin sulfate found in joint cartilage and protein. It is reported to help regenerate cartilage in the knee joint and has strong skin moisturizing properties.
Although PDRN and proteoglycan are utilized in various industries including bio-pharmaceuticals, functional cosmetics, and health functional foods, more than 90% of them depend on imports.
The research team has also begun to establish standard production processes and develop new materials to enhance the industrial productivity of this domestication technology and stabilize supply costs.
Minister Kang Dong-hyung noted, "As our country has a high consumption of seafood, a tremendous amount of marine by-products is generated. There is a need to utilize by-products not as simple waste but as high-value resources," adding, "We will continue to expand research to convert marine by-products into high-value raw materials, minimizing environmental pollution and enhancing industrialization possibilities."