Biopolymers in the eggshell of the Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae): a Raman microscopy study

Abstract

The Argentine Black and White Tegu Salvator merianae is one of the largest South American lizards. The eggs of this reptile, whitish in color and oval in shape, are soft and resistant but permeable to water, evidencing interesting properties to be exploited in the field of biomaterial engineering. This is the first study focused on the organic matrix of the Salvator merianae eggshell. The structural analysis, carried out by Raman microscopy and complemented with transmission electron microscopy and with brightfield and polarized light optical microscopy, reveals an interesting organization of fibrillar polymers. The spatial distribution of collagen and keratins correlates with the morphology of this extraordinary complex system.