Abstract
Insoluble collagen from rat tail tendon was digested with cyanogen bromide. The resultant peptides were dissolved in 0.1% SDS solution and separated by gel filtration and gel electrophoresis. Cross‐linking occurred in CNBr‐cleaved peptides when they were exposed to ozone or biologically effective UV (300 nm) radiation. The enhancement of a blue fluorescence at 430 nm (excited at 350 nm) was found to be associated with oxidized, cross‐linked peptides. Polymeric peptides, formed in collagen with aging, also exhibited enhanced blue fluorescence.