[Biochemical and photometric studies of modification of collagen structure under UV radiation].

The influence of UV irradiation (270-380 nm) on the biochemical, fluorescence and colorimetric properties of collagen was studied. The long-term UV irradiation (120 h) was accompanied by the increase of structural stability of collagen to specific and nonspecific proteolytic enzymes, by formation of new additional fluorophore-containing molecules, by the increase in quantity of carbonyl groups in the collagen and by strong changing of the distribution pattern of alkaline hydrolysis products during gel-chromatography. The coordinates of colour of the collagen films are also changed. These changes of collagen suggest that UV irradiation induces photomodification and photooxidation processes in collagen.