Gelatin‐methacrylamide (gelMA) hydrogels are shown to support chondrocyte viability and differentiation and give wide ranging mechanical properties depending on several cross‐linking parameters. Polymer concentration, UV exposure time, and thermal gelation prior to UV exposure allow for control over hydrogel stiffness and swelling properties. GelMA solutions have a low viscosity at 37 °C, which is incompatible with most biofabrication approaches. However, incorporation of hyaluronic acid (HA) and/or co‐deposition with thermoplastics allows gelMA to be used in biofabrication processes. These attributes may allow engineered constructs to match the natural functional variations in cartilage mechanical and geometrical properties.
Gelatin hydrogel pads have been prepared from a 10 wt.‐% gelatin solution that contained 2.5 wt.‐% AgNO3 in 70% v/v acetic acid by a solvent‐casting technique. The AgNO3‐containing gelatin solution was aged under mechanical stirring for various time intervals to allow for the formation of silver nanoparticles (nAgs). The formation of nAgs was monitored by a UV‐vis spectrophotometer. The morphology and size of the nAgs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To improve the water resistance of the hydrogels, various contents of glutaraldehyde (GTA) were added to the AgNO3‐containing gelatin solution to cross‐link the obtained gelatin hydrogels. These hydrogels were tested for their water retention and weight loss behavior, release characteristics of the as‐loaded silver, and antibacterial activity against Gram‐negative Escherichiacoli and Gram‐positive Staphylococcusaureus. The AgNO3‐containing gelatin solution that had been aged for 5 d showed the greatest number of nAgs formed. The size of these particles, based on TEM results, was 10–11 nm. With an increase in the GTA content used to cross‐link the hydrogels, the water retention, the weight loss, and the cumulative amount of silver released were found to decrease. Finally, all of the nAg‐loaded gelatin hydrogels could inhibit the growth of the tested pathogens, which confirmed their applicability as antibacterial wound dressings.
Composite nanofibers of poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and gelatin crosslinked with genipin are prepared. The contact angles and mechanical properties of crosslinked PCL‐gelatin nanofibers decrease as the gelatin content increases. The proliferation of myoblasts is higher in the crosslinked PCL‐gelatin nanofibers than in the PCL nanofibers, and the formation of myotubes is only observed on the crosslinked PCL‐gelatin nanofibers. The expression level of myogenin, myosin heavy chain, and troponin T genes is increased as the gelatin content is increased. The results suggest that PCL‐gelatin nanofibers crosslinked with genipin can be used as a substrate to modulate proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts, presenting potential applications in muscle tissue engineering.
