Welcome

Zonase is a new and patented endoprotease with unique properties. The enzyme is isolated, characterized and produced by Aqua Bio Technology AS (Ltd.), Norway.

Zonase is marketed for Skin Care products. New applications are being considered.

Zonase is produced from natural sources, ie. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

Zonase – A novel class enzyme...
A skin care concept based on a unique enzyme technology

The active principle in Aqua Bio Technolgy’s skin care concept is the enzyme zonase. The enzyme possesses properties that make us conclude it is merely designed by nature for skin care. The production process, industrial application and the enzyme itself are all patented. 

Zonase – First discovered

Zonase was detected for the first time in Norway under a basic research project at the University of Bergen in 1984. The aim of the project was to understand the hatching mechanism in teleostean fishes; trout, salmon, cod, turbot, halibut and plaice. The enzyme was detected as “hatching enzyme”. More recent research has revealed that “hatching enzyme” is not one but several enzymes – zonase is one of them. 

Zonase – Functional design

The biological function of zonase is to partly degrade the eggshell (a fibrous protein structure) surrounding the fish larvae during early embryogenesis from fertilization to hatching.It is obvious that such an enzyme must be specially designed by nature: The enzyme must efficiently catalyze the degradation of a mechanically strong protein structure, without imposing any negative effects on the larvae, i.e. the enzyme does not degrade any of the proteins exposed on the larvae’s surface.  

Coincidence

In 2002 procedures for industrial isolation of zonase from hatching liquid from salmon were established. While working with their hands in hatching liquid for hours, one of the employees at the hatcheries noted that the skin on her hands became soft and smooth. 

Zonase in skin care

The unintentional discovery that hatching liquid from salmon had positive effect on human skin demanded a scientific explanation. The eggshell proteins from salmon were already thoroughly described in an earlier doctor thesis. These studies revealed that eggshell proteins from salmon share certain biochemical characteristics with human skin proteins – keratins. It seemed therefore tempting to speculate that zonase also were able to degrade keratin – which later was demonstrated to be the case. The positive effect of hatching liquid on human skin is therefore assigned the presence of zonase that can degrade keratin, thereby enhancing removal of dry and dead cells from the skin surface.  

Skin care in a historical perspective

Already the early emperors of China and Egypt’s faraoes knew that a clean and nice skin was achieved by extensive cleaning procedures that removed dead skin without damaging the living skin. Through out history of mankind until modern times this has been achieved by softening the skin in baths or ointments followed by mechanic rubbing using sponges or woven mittens of sisal etc. In modern times the same has been achieved using different treatments involving chemicals such as organic acids. It should be unnecessary to point out that such procedures may be harmful to human skin. For the first time in human history we are able to enhance removal of dead skin cells using an enzyme, i.e. natures own principles, without any harmful impacts on living tissue. 

The basis doctrine in human skin care

Today we know that dead skin on the skin’s surface consists of skin cells that dies, dries and fall off. This process is termed exfoliation, and stimulates generation of new skin cells.In many ways we can say that the basic doctrine in skin care is to stimulate generation of new skin by removing old, chapped, dry and dead skin. 

Zonase – Viability and stability

Enzymes are proteins. Every protein is dependent upon a certain structure (3-D structure) to remain biologically active. If the amino acids in a protein are damaged the folding of the protein chain will change, and the protein will loose its biological function or activity. When this happens to enzymes, we say that the enzyme “dies”. With the exception of zonase, protein digesting enzymes commonly degrade themselves. This is one of several reasons as to why zonase remain active in solution for months (year) without loss of activity. It has further been demonstrated that zonase remains active even when subjected to the most extreme conditions, freezing, thawing, detergents, hydrophobic extraction chemicals etc. The enzyme also stays active in cream! Most of the mentioned properties are not possessed by other described enzymes. These unique properties are considered being an absolute prerequisite to be used in skin care products. 

Zonase – Substrate specificity

The protein degraded by a protein degrading enzyme, is termed the substrate. Enzymes able to catalyze the degradation of a wide range of proteins are said to have low substrate specificity. Enzymes able to catalyze the degradation of just a few proteins are said to have high substrate specificity. Zonase is demonstrated to have extremely high substrate specificity. Besides from eggshell proteins from salmon, keratins are the only known proteins that zonase is able to degrade. Keratin in human skin is only exposed in dead, cracked and dry cells. 

Zonase – A safe enzyme

All known protein degrading enzymes are toxic and kill living cells within minutes, except zonase. Studies performed on a wide range of different human cell lines, among them keratinocytes (skin cells), have revealed that zonase do not kill living cells – Probably not a very surprising result taking into consideration its biological function. But the result is still exceptional. The concentrations of zonase in these studies were 1000 fold the concentration used in Kilda Biolink’s skin care products. The cell cultures were followed over a period of 78 hours. The same studies demonstrated that the other enzymes (subtilisin, termolysin, pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin and bromelain, killed all cultures within minutes. As long as the skin cells are living the keratin is contained within the cells and hence not available to degradation by zonase. Zonase is therefore to be considered tailor made for skin care. 

Zonase – Protein classification

We can group proteins into two main groups: Structural proteins and biologically active proteins. The first group full fills their biological roles by being an integral part of structural tissues such as bone, connective tissue, skin, hair, nails etc. The other group plays their biological roles by being biologically active as signal carriers (hormones) or as catalysts (enzymes) for biochemical reactions and processes. Enzymes are divided into classes dependent on which reactions they catalyze. Zonase catalyze the degradation of salmon eggshell consisting of zona radiata and zona pellucida, and has hence got the name zonase. Within the respective groups, enzymes are often grouped according to how the active site is constructed. Zonase revealed so many unique properties in its catalytic behaviour and its physical structure that it had to be classified in a novel class. Zonase is classified as a non-cytotoxic serine protease.