Study finds Pacific whiting skin could prevent wrinkles

Jun. 27—An Oregon State University study found that gelatin in the skin of Pacific whiting, a fish commonly caught off the West Coast, could prevent wrinkles.

A common ingredient in fish and chips and imitation crab, Pacific whiting, also known as hake, is often skinned during processing or before cooking.

Assistant professor Jung Kwon at Oregon State's Seafood Research and Education Center in Astoria found gelatin in Pacific whiting skin increased collagen synthesis, creating an anti-wrinkle effect.

The study found the gelatin could also have anti-inflammatory effects and encourage antioxidant activity.

"Americans typically do not like eating fish skin," Kwon said. "But gelatin is a pretty abundant protein found in the fish skin, which has some functionalities and health benefits."

Pacific whiting was the most plentifully caught commercial fish landed in Astoria in 2021, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Pacific Seafood, the Clackamas-based seafood company, which has a processing plant in Warrenton, funded the Oregon State study.

Despite the abundance of Pacific whiting, consumers in the United States typically favor salmon and tilapia, Kwon said. Consumers are also heavily dependent on imported fish.

"By focusing on this local, wild-harvest fish stock, we can draw some consumers' interests toward this currently not-very-popular local fish so that way we can really help the growth of the local fisheries," she said.

Consuming a variety of fish is more sustainable and can alleviate the pressure on more popular species, Kwon said.

The research findings were published in a paper in Marine Drugs, a journal that focuses on biologically and therapeutically active compounds from the sea. Kwon authored the paper with Elaine Ballinger, of Oregon State, and Seok Hee Han and Se-Young Choung, of Kyung Hee University in South Korea.

The initial results of the study are promising but based on a cellular level. The next step is to use animal models to see if the same outcome can be achieved through consumption.

If the animal models prove successful, Kwon hopes consumers will think twice about discarding Pacific whiting fish skin.

"It can be quite tasty, as well," she said. "If you ever tried fish skin, and especially for Pacific whiting, it has a really mild flavor and softer texture. So it's a matter of changing your point of view about that."