Executive Summary : | In the last two decades, a substantial increase in the amounts of marine-based waste has been observed in the India due to rapid population and consumption growth. This waste stream is mostly disposed of in landfills without any value. Given the government's policy to restructure the India’s waste management system and reduce 80% of landfilled solid waste, marine waste management requires innovative solutions through sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches and a potential valorization of waste streams. Very recently, the utilization of marine-based fish waste as a raw material for the extraction of collagen and high-value biochemicals has gained importance in terms of a circular economy and the vision of a zero-waste policy. Collagen, one of the best-known biological macromolecules, has long been used in a wide range of biomedical applications, including diabetic wound healing and repair. Specifically, fish-derived collagen has improved physicochemical characteristics, stability, cytocompatibility, and biocompatibility. An amalgamation of such fish waste-derived protein with biocompatible polymers and metal oxide modifiers can tremendously enhance the therapeutic performance of the resultant blend, especially for the rapid healing of burns or damaged tissues. Therefore, this project aims to develop novel fish waste-based collagen patches integrated with polyvinyl alcohol-Chitosan (PVA-Cs) polymer functionalized with graphene oxide (GO) and Copper-doped zirconium oxide (ZrO2-Cu). The incorporation of biocompatible PVA-Cs gives the patch excellent flexibility and mechanical properties and promotes oxidative stress. Furthermore, the addition of GO enhances the surface area for cell adhesion and proliferation, while ZrO2 greatly aids in the reepithelization, anti-inflammation, matrix remodeling, and photoactivation of the healing process. copper promotes the activity of ZrO2 and also stimulates the enzymatic and antibacterial activities of the patch. Overall, the composite scaffold patch would result in rapid wound healing and tissue regrowth. Thus, the project devises a novel wound healing patch with the necessary aspects of separation of collagen from fish-waste; synthesis and characterization of polymeric nanocomposites, and production, characterization, and application studies of the patches, which form an integrated framework for fish waste management that can help solve the problem of marine waste disposal in the India and highlight India 's leading role in renewable resource innovation. |