Collagenase HC-101 & DT-101 – LIVZYM Biotechnology

Livzym enzymes · Microbial collagenase

Collagenase HC-101 & DT-101

A fermentation-derived collagenase that selectively cleaves collagen, producing clean-tasting collagen peptides and tripeptides with customizable peptide profiles.

Collagen is the natural substrate of collagenase. Unlike broad-spectrum proteases, Livzym Collagenase selectively hydrolyzes collagen into peptides with high bioavailability. Manufactured through precision fermentation, it delivers consistent batch-to-batch performance while minimizing the seasonal variability and fluctuations in enzymatic activity associated with plant-derived enzymes.

Mode of action

As collagen’s native enzyme, collagenase specifically cleaves the Y–Gly and Gly–X bonds of the collagen triple helix and leaves the majority of other peptide bonds untouched. Commercial collagen hydrolysates of about 3,000 - 5,000  Da are degraded at a high rate into collagen tri-peptides (CTPs) of 200–1,000 Da — the size range that is actively absorbed in the small intestine — without adding other protease enzymes.

Collagen · gelatincommercial hydrolysates ≈ 3,000 - 5,000 Da
Livzym Collagenasecleaves Y–Gly and Gly–X bonds
Collagen peptidesHC-101 · Avg. 2,000 Da
Collagen tri-peptidesDT-101 · Gly–X–Y, Avg. 1,000 Da
Fragments above 2,000 Da are generally not absorbed; amino acids (≈110 Da) and di- and tri-peptides (200–1,000 Da) are taken up by active transport.

Application areas

  • Collagen tri-peptides (CTP)
  • Collagen peptides & hydrolysates
  • Supplements & functional foods

Two grades, two peptide profiles

Treated under the same conditions, HC-101 yields a collagen peptide profile centered on 1,000–3,000 Da, while DT-101 drives hydrolysis further towards tri-peptides. Products of different molecular weight can be obtained by adjusting the enzymatic process to the targeted final product — either from extracted lime splits or directly from gelatin.

68%of the HC-101 product below 2,000 Da
88%of the DT-101 product below 2,000 Da
Molecular weight distribution of gelatin hydrolysed with HC-101 and DT-101HC-101 gives 16, 19, 33, 25, 6 and 1 percent in the 0–500, 500–1,000, 1,000–2,000, 2,000–3,000, 3,000–4,000 and 4,000–5,000 Da bins; DT-101 gives 51, 23, 14, 4, 6 and 1 percent in the same bins. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% HC-101, 0–0.5 kDa: 16%16% DT-101, 0–0.5 kDa: 51%51% 0–0.5 HC-101, 0.5–1 kDa: 19%19% DT-101, 0.5–1 kDa: 23%23% 0.5–1 HC-101, 1–2 kDa: 33%33% DT-101, 1–2 kDa: 14%14% 1–2 HC-101, 2–3 kDa: 25%25% DT-101, 2–3 kDa: 4%4% 2–3 HC-101, 3–4 kDa: 6%6% DT-101, 3–4 kDa: 6%6% 3–4 HC-101, 4–5 kDa: 1%1% DT-101, 4–5 kDa: 1%1% 4–5 Molecular weight (kDa) Share of product (%) HC-101 DT-101
Molecular weight distribution after 3 hours at 37 °C, pH 8.0–8.5, with 1% w/w enzyme on 35% gelatin.

A tunable platform

DT-101 turns collagen hydrolysis into a dose-based control: the share of di- and tri-peptides released rises with the enzyme dosage, so a single enzyme covers mild hydrolysis for taste and clarity (about 2,000 Da average), active peptide products (about 1,000 Da) and highly hydrolyzed, low-molecular-weight collagen (about 500 Da) — gentle, controlled peptide release without harsh processing.

Di- and tri-peptide release versus DT-101 dosage25% at 0.1% DT-101, 50% at 0.5% and 75% at 1.0%, after 3 hours at 40 °C and pH 8.0 on 30 Brix gelatin. 0 20 40 60 80 100 0.1% DT-101: about 25% di- and tri-peptides 0.1% 0.5% DT-101: about 50% di- and tri-peptides 0.5% 1.0% DT-101: about 75% di- and tri-peptides 1.0% DT-101 dosage (% of gelatin solids) Di- and tri-peptides released (%) 25% 50% 75%
Industrial-scale 30 Brix gelatin, pH 8.0, 40 °C, 3 hours, with 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0% DT-101.

Clean taste by design

Traditional protease hydrolysis leaves collagen peptides bitter, chalky or unnatural-tasting, often forcing the use of enzyme blends or masking agents. Collagenase cleaves specifically at Y–Gly and Gly–X, which limits the release of bitter hydrophobic peptides and favors short Gly–Pro–Hyp-rich and umami peptides.

The result: minimal bitterness, no chalky mouthfeel and a natural, clean-label advantage over standard protease hydrolysates — ideal for supplements and functional foods.

Taste effectProtease hydrolysateCollagenase hydrolysate
Bitter hydrophobic peptidesHigh — pronounced bitternessLow — minimal bitter peptides
Neutral Gly–Pro–Hyp repeats, <1 kDaLimitedDominant fraction
Umami Glu- and Asp-rich short peptidesLess frequentMore abundant
Mouthfeel <1 kDa smooth, 2–5 kDa chalkyMore chalky or dustySmooth, pleasant

Livzym solution

Product Typical use Peptide profile Dosage Conditions
Collagenase HC-101 Collagen peptides and hydrolysates 68% below 2,000 Da; centered on 1,000–3,000 Da 1% w/w on gelatin solids pH 8.0–8.5 · 37–45 °C · 1–3 h
Collagenase DT-101 Collagen tri-peptides; tunable low-molecular-weight peptides 88% below 2,000 Da; 74% below 1,000 Da 0.1–1% w/w on gelatin solids pH 8.0–8.5 · 37–45 °C · 1–3 h

Peptide profiles measured after 3 hours at 37 °C, pH 8.0–8.5, with 1% w/w enzyme on 35% gelatin. Non-GMO; Halal and Kosher certified.

Activity profiles

pH

Activity of Livzym Collagenase at different pHRelative activity is near zero up to pH 5, rises steadily to a maximum around pH 8–8.5, stays above 85% to pH 9 and falls to near zero by pH 10. over 50 % activity, pH 7–9 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 pH Relative activity (%) optimum pH 8–8.5 pH 4: 0% pH 4.5: 0% pH 5: 1% pH 5.5: 5% pH 6: 18% pH 6.5: 38% pH 7: 53% pH 7.5: 68% pH 8: 99% pH 8.5: 100% pH 9: 86% pH 9.5: 27% pH 10: 4%

Optimum at pH 8–8.5, with more than half of its activity between pH 7 and 9; essentially inactive below pH 5.

Temperature

Activity of Livzym Collagenase at different temperaturesRelative activity rises gradually from about 10% at 10 °C to a sharp maximum at 45 °C, drops to about 80% at 50 °C, below 15% at 55 °C and near zero from 65 °C. optimum 40–50 °C 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Temperature (°C) Relative activity (%) maximum at 45 °C 10 °C: 8% 15 °C: 14% 20 °C: 20% 25 °C: 27% 30 °C: 36% 35 °C: 47% 40 °C: 70% 45 °C: 99% 50 °C: 80% 55 °C: 13% 60 °C: 8% 65 °C: 4% 70 °C: 0% 75 °C: 0% 80 °C: 0%

Maximum activity at 45 °C; activity falls sharply above 50 °C and the enzyme is inactivated at 55–60 °C, allowing the reaction to be stopped precisely by heat.