Abstract
Porcine and fish by-products in particular are rich sources for collagen, which is the main component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Although there are studies investigating different collagen derived from various tissue sources for the purpose of creating biomaterials, the comparison of biophysical, biochemical and biological properties of type II collagen isolated from cartilaginous tissues has yet to be assessed. In addition, it has been shown from previous studies that sex steroid hormones affect the collagen content in male and female animals, herein, type II collagens from male and female porcine cartilage were assessed in order to investigate gender effects on the property of collagen scaffolds. Moreover, type II collagen has a supportive role in articular cartilage in the knee joint. Therefore, the aim is to assess the properties of type II collagen scaffolds as a function of species, tissue and gender for cartilage regeneration. Type II collagen was extracted from male and female porcine trachea, auricular, articular cartilage and cartilaginous fish through acid-pepsin digestion at 4°C. SDS-PAGE was conducted to confirm the purity of extracted collagen. Collagen sponges were created via freeze-drying. Scaffold structure and pore size were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal stability was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Sponges were seeded with human adipose derived stem cells to assess chondro-inductive potential of collagen sponges after 7, 14 and 21 days of culture. In conclusion, collagen sponges support the proliferation and differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells to different extents.
