Mechanical improvement of zein protein as scaffold for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

Although extensive efforts have been put into the development of porous scaffolds from natural materials for bone regeneration with encouraging results, they still have a common limitation: the inherent lack of strength associated with porosity. That is to say, they are not strong enough to meet the specific requirements of load bearing applications. The authors have reported a series studies on possible application of a natural material, zein protein from maize, as a new kind of biomaterial for tissue engineering. The result showed a good cell compatibility and biodegradability in tissue within eight months. To improve its mechanical property (especially the brittleness), stearic acid or oleic acid was added. The mechanical properties, especially the tensile and flexible properties were improved significantly. The possible mechanism is discussed.

Keywords:

• ZEIN
• MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
• FATTY ACIDS
• BRITTLENESS
• POROSITY