Silk protein fragment compositions and articles manufactured therefrom

1. A gel comprising a silk protein fragment composition comprising:

pure silk fibroin-based protein fragments substantially devoid of sericin and comprising:

an average weight average molecular weight ranging from about 17 kDa to about 38 kDa; and

a polydispersity of between about 1.5 and about 3.0; and

water,

wherein the composition prior to gelation is a solution which does not spontaneously or gradually gelate and does not visibly change in color or turbidity when in the solution for at least 10 days,

wherein the gel includes between 0 ppm and 500 ppm of inorganic residuals, and

wherein the gel includes between 0 ppm and 500 ppm of organic residuals.

2. The gel of claim 1 , wherein the silk fibroin-based protein fragments comprise between about 1.0% and about 50.0% crystalline protein domains.

3. The gel of claim 1 , wherein the silk protein fragment composition comprises from about 0.5 wt. % to about 8.0 wt. % of pure silk fibroin-based protein fragments.

4. The gel of claim 1 having a pH from about 1.0 to about 7.0.

5. The gel of claim 1 further comprising from about 0.5 wt. % to about 20.0 wt. % of vitamin C or a derivative thereof.

6. The gel of claim 5 wherein the vitamin C or a derivative thereof remains stable within the gel for a period of from about 5 days to about 5 years.

7. The gel of claim 5 wherein the vitamin C or a derivative thereof is stable within the gel so as to result in release of the vitamin C in a biologically active form.

8. The gel of claim 1 further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of vitamin E, rosemary oil, rose oil, lemon juice, lemon grass oil and caffeine.

9. The gel of claim 1 packaged in an airtight container.

10. The gel of claim 1 wherein the pure silk fibroin-based protein fragments are hypoallergenic.