Abstract: The invention relates to a method of in vitro testing of the efficacy of a potentially active substance comprising monitoring the effect of said potentially active substance on an artificial skin, comprising a composite product forming a collagen support comprising at least one porous collagen layer covered on at least one side with a collagen membrane component selected from the group consisting of a collagen membrane prepared by compression of a collagen sponge at a pressure of at least about 50 bar and of a collagen membrane comprising a collagen film prepared by drying a collagen gel separately from the porous collagen layer, thereby providing a reliable method for finding new potentially active substances.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of in vitro testing of the efficacy of a potentially active substance comprising monitoring the effect of said potentially active substance on an artificial skin, comprising a composite product forming a collagen support comprising at least one porous collagen layer covered on at least one side with a collagen membrane component selected from the group consisting of a collagen membrane prepared by compression of a collagen sponge at a pressure of at least about 50 bar and of a collagen membrane comprising a collagen film prepared by drying a collagen gel separately from the porous collagen layer, thereby providing a reliable method for finding new potentially active substances.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel amphiphilic complexes, a method for their preparation, and the compositions containing them. Said amphiphilic complexes result from the reaction, at a temperature between ambient temperature and 80° C., between a protein or polypeptide whose average molecular mass is greater than or equal to 5,000 Daltons and a fatty chain whose carbon atom number is between 4 and 30 selected from fatty acid, fatty alcohol, fatty amine, with the exclusion of undecylenic acid ; the protein or polypeptide/fatty chain weight ratio ranging from 1000/1 to 1/10.

Abstract: A composite product is disclosed as a collagen support comprising at least one porous collagen layer covered on at least one side with an essentially compact collagen membrane consisting either of a collagen film prepared by drying a collagen gel, preferably in air or a gaseous fluid, or of a very highly compressed collagen sponge. At least one of the two layers, i.e. the porous layer and the essentially compact membrane, may comprise normal, genetically modified or malignant living cells originating particularly from young or elderly subjects. This composite product is used as a collagen support for the manufacture of artificial skin intended especially for performing in vitro tests on the efficacy of potentially active substances or for reconstructing damaged areas of skin in vivo.

Abstract: Cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions comprising amphiphilic or hydrolipidic complexes of plant proteins modified with fatty chains are presented. The modified proteins are obtained from the reaction carried out at a temperature between ambient temperature and 80° C. with plant proteins having an average molecular mass is greater than or equal to 10,000 Daltons and one or more fatty chains whose carbon atom number is between 4 and 30, selected from fatty acid anhydrides and fatty acid halides, with the exclusion of undecylenic acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of in vitro testing of the efficacy of a potentially active substance comprising monitoring the effect of said potentially active substance on an artificial skin, comprising a composite product forming a collagen support comprising at least one porous collagen layer covered on at least one side with a collagen membrane component selected from the group consisting of a collagen membrane prepared by compression of a collagen sponge at a pressure of at least about 50 bar and of a collagen membrane comprising a collagen film prepared by drying a collagen gel separately from the porous collagen layer, thereby providing a reliable method for finding new potentially active substances.

Abstract: The invention relates to a collagen product containing collagen of marine origin with a low odor. The collagen product includes one or more collagens or derivatives thereof, including hydrolyzates, with a low odor, at least part of the collagen or the derivatives being of marine origin and having been subjected to a deodorization treatment, particularly with an oxidizing substance such as a sulfite, hydrogen peroxide or ozone, at any stage of the manufacture of the collagen product. The invention also makes it possible to improve the mechanical properties and to use this low-odor collagen product in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products.

Abstract: Use of collagen of aquatic origin for the production of supports for tissue engineering is disclosed. The collagen may be obtained from fish skin, preferably in its native form. Novel tissue engineering supports with a low risk of contamination are produced.

Abstract: The invention relates to new lipophilic hydroxylated acids wherein said lipophilic hydroxylated acid comprises a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain having from 7 to 30 carbon atoms grafted onto the hydroxyl functional group and/or the acid functional group of the lipophilic hydroxylated acid via a covalent bond chosen from the group consisting of an ester bond on the hydroxyl functional group, an anhydride bond on the acid functional group and an amide bond on the acid functional group, provided that, in the case of an amide bond, this hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain consists of an alkyl radical having from 10 to 30 carbon atoms resulting from a monoamine, or a combination of these bonds. These new derivatives are useful as active ingredient of cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions and as emulsifying agents.

Abstract: The invention relates to new lipophilic hydroxylated acids wherein said lipophilic hydroxylated acid comprises a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain having from 7 to 30 carbon atoms grafted onto the hydroxyl functional group and/or the acid functional group of the lipophilic hydroxylated acid via a covalent bond chosen from the group consisting of an ester bond on the hydroxyl functional group, an anhydride bond on the acid functional group and an amide bond on the acid functional group, provided that, in the case of an amide bond, this hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain consists of an alkyl radical having from 10 to 30 carbon atoms resulting from a monoamine, or a combination of these bonds. These new derivatives are useful as active ingredient of cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions and as emulsifying agents.

Abstract: A collagen-based composition including microcapsules of atelocollagen or of a mixture of atelocollagen and a polysaccharide, particularly glycosaminoglycan, suspended in a viscous biocompatible carrier solution. Together, the microcapsules and the viscous carrier solution preferably have a viscosity such that the composition may be injected, in particular as a continuous thread from a needle. Said composition is readily injectable and may be used as a soft or bony tissues filling material for, or as a system for the controlled delivery and release of biologically, cosmetically or pharmaceutically active substances.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of collagen as solid binding substrate for a sensor called ligand or refining agent, capable of reacting specifically with an element to be detected in a biological medium, to form a specific complex.Preferably, the solid substrate comprises atelocollagen or a mixture of atelocollagen and of polyholoside.The invention thus makes it possible to provide a biological reactant of high specificity and of which the constituents are of natural origin. It can be used easily and quickly.

Abstract: The invention relates to microcapsules with a mixed wall of crosslinked atelocollagen and polyholosides, for example glycosaminoglycans, and to processes for the manufacture of the said microcapsules.According to the invention, the microcapsules comprise a mixed wall of crosslinked atelocollagen and polyholosides, for example glycosaminoglycans, the proportion of polyholosides, for example glycosaminoglycans, relative to the atelocollagen preferably being between 18 and 50% by weight. These microcapsules can be manufactured either by a process involving interfacial crosslinking or by the extrusion of a laminar flow which is broken up by vibrations into individual droplets, which fall into a crosslinking bath.These microcapsules are biocompatible by virtue of the presence of atelocollagen, which has most of the advantageous properties of collagen, namely a very low antigenicity and a perfect biodegradability.

Abstract: Suturable, biocompatible, control-resorbing membranes are disclosed for use in guided tissue regeneration, comprising a cross-linked collagen material either obtained by crosslinking a starting collagen material in the coagulated state produced by coagulation of a collagen material gel with a coagulating agent or obtained by crosslinking of a sponge of a collagen material on which a collagen material gel has been poured before performing the crosslinking.

Abstract: The invention relates to microcapsules having a combined atelocollagen/polyholoside coagulated wall as well as to a method for producing them. According to the invention, the microcapsules are characterized in that they include a combined atelocollagen/polyholoside wall coagulated by a coagulant, preferably a divalent cation. These microcapsules are preferably prepared by a method which includes laminar-flow extrusion dislocated by individual droplet vibrations falling into a coagulation bath. The presence of the atelocollagen renders the microcapsules biocompatible. They are particularly suitable for the production of cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polyose/fatty acid complex product. This complex product is the reaction product of at least one polyose with at least one fatty acid, in particular in the form of a halide or the anhydride. The fatty acid can be saturated or unsaturated and can comprise from 8 to 28 carbon atoms. This complex product has a high moisturizing capacity and, surprisingly, an emulsifying capacity and can be used to prepare valuable cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of unpigmented skin from flat fish as novel industrial source of collagen. As unpigmented skin, the ventral skin is used in particular, from sole, dab, turbot, brill. Native acid-soluble collagen is advantageously extracted and separated by precipitation from the supernatant. The invention makes it possible to improve the collagen yield at reduced cost while preserving the native properties of the protein, and in a reproducible manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to microcapsules with a mixed wall of crosslinked atelocollagen and polyholosides, for example glycosaminoglycans, and to processes for the manufacture of the said microcapsules. According to the invention, the microcapsules comprise a mixed wall of crosslinked atelocollagen and polyholosides, for example glycosaminoglycans, the proportion of polyholosides, for example glycosaminoglycans, relative to the atelocollagen preferably being between 18 and 50% by weight. These microcapsules can be manufactured either by a process involving interfacial crosslinking or by the extrusion of a laminar flow which is broken up by vibrations into individual droplets, which fall into a crosslinking bath. These microcapsules are biocompatible by virtue of the presence of atelocollagen, which has most of the advantageous properties of collagen, namely a very low antigenicity and a perfect biodegradability.

Abstract: A process of preparation of collagen containing in major proportion insoluble collagen is disclosed, including rinsing and washing the collagenic tissue, acidifying the ground material pH value 1 to 4 to get a collagenic paste which is diluted in a diluting solution to get the collagen gel having a concentration in collagen lower than about 2.5 by weight expressed in dry collagen, and performing a shearing stirring at high speed producing ultrasonic effect to get a substantially homogeneous collagenic gel. The collagen has improved mechanical resistance and thermal stability.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process of cross-linking collagen. This process is of the type comprising the formation of amide bonds by means of acylazide groups and is characterized in that the collagen is reacted with diphenylphosphorylazide. The process according to the invention makes it possible to simplify the collagen cross-linking process and to adjust the degree of cross-linking at discretion without introducing any cross-linking agent.