<![CDATA[Gelatin, a collagen-derived biopolymer, has attracted increasing interest as a sustainable material for advanced engineering applications owing to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and tunable physicochemical properties. However, understanding of how microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) influences the structural evolution and material characteristics of chicken skin-derived gelatin remains limited. This study investigates the effect of MAE on the physicochemical, structural, and morphological properties of chicken skin gelatin in comparison with conventional waterbath extraction. Gelatin samples were produced under different extraction conditions and characterized in terms of yield, moisture content, ash content, pH, viscosity, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Visible spectroscopy, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate–Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The highest gelatin yield obtained by MAE reached 21.19% at 200 W for 10 min, compared with 12.39% obtained by conventional waterbath extraction under the optimum condition. Microwave treatment also produced observable differences in molecular structure and surface morphology compared with conventional extraction. FTIR and UV–Vis analyses indicated changes in molecular organization, while SDS-PAGE suggested broader peptide distribution following microwave treatment. SEM observations revealed a denser and more compact microstructure in the microwave-extracted gelatin. These findings suggest that microwave-assisted extraction may provide an energy-efficient approach for producing chicken skin-derived gelatin while influencing its structural and physicochemical characteristics. The study contributes to understanding the process–structure–property relationship of gelatin biopolymers and provides useful information for future development of sustainable biomaterials and advanced material processing technologies.]]>
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