ABSTRACT
Cartilages used industrially as materials for the production of chondroitin sulfates are derived from pastoral animals such as bovine, porcine, and chicken and aquatic animals such as salmon, shark, stingray, and squid. Of the latter group, the shark is an elasmobranch that has its —n, skull, spine, and bone under the cheeks made from cartilage, and this cartilage is one of the most commonly used materials from sharks that are caught all over the world. In the past several years, the annual catch of sharks in the world has been approximately 700-900 thousand tons, and the main countries that catch sharks are Asian countries such as Indonesia, India, and Taiwan. Countries other than the Asian ones are Spain, the United States, and Mexico. One of the sharks that is used as a material for chondroitin sulfate is a type of a shark called the blue shark (Prionace glauca), which inhabit coastal areas and broad oceans of tropic and temperate regions all over the world. The skin is used for the fabrication of leather products, the –esh is transformed into saute and surimi (—sh paste used in products such as kamaboko and chikuwa), and the —ns become shark-—n soup. The cartilages of the —n that remain after making the shark-—n soup, and other cartilage parts are used as materials for the preparation of chondroitin sulfate for use in foods, cosmetics, and medicines. Other sharks known to be used as a material for chondroitin sulfate are sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis), each having a different habitat.
