A Glucuronoxylan-Based Bio-Ink Development: Characterization and Application

Abstract

Bioprinting is a trending technique that enables the fabrication of three­dimensional (3D) constructs in designed shapes and with desired properties. Bio­inks are one of the most significant components of bioprinting and the successful fabrication of 3D bioprinted constructs mostly depends on the features of bio­inks that would be used. New generation bio­inks that are soft and viscous enough, printable under low pressure, stable in cell culture, and have fast gelation mechanisms are ideal to be used in current bioprinting techniques. Hydrocolloids have said features and have similar properties to native ECM structures. Hence bio­inks that are developed from hydrocolloids can be utilized for mimicking of ECM structure of soft tissues. Polysaccharide­based hydrocolloids are ideal bio­ink candidates with their high waterholding capacity and biocompatibility. Here, a glucuronoxylan­based new­generation bio­ink was developed, and its printability was evaluated for 3D bioprinting applications. The glucuronoxylan­based hydrocolloid was obtained by water extraction of quince seeds and its utilization in bioprinting was investigated. Bio­ink characterization was done by FTIR and mechanical analysis. Bioprinting parameters were optimized assessing uniformity, pore factor, and shape fidelity. Then, the characterization of bioprinted constructs was performed by pore angle measurement, water­holding capacity analysis, protein adsorption, and cell viability assays. Bioprinted structures have high mechanical strength, suitable protein adsorption behavior, and water­holding capacity as high as 20­fold of its own weight, which is higher than other hydrogels that were used in soft tissue engineering. Moreover, the cell viability results of fibroblast cells in the bio­ink were high for long­term culture. In conclusion, findings show that the developed glucuronoxylan­based bio­ink is a biocompatible and promising bio­ink material for further tissue engineering applications.