Improvement of Collagen Hydrogel Scaffolds Properties by the Addition of Konjac Glucomannan

Collagen gels have been investigated for a number of applications in tissue engineering because of their excellent biological properties. However, their limited mechanical behavior represents a major bottleneck for clinical use, especially for vascular tissue engineering. The targeting of their mechanical properties may be envisaged by the addition of other biopolymers, such as konjac glucomannan (KGM), a neutral high-molecular weight polysaccharide extracted from the tubers ofAmorphophallus konjac, which has already been studied for biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility and biodegradable activity. In the present study, reconstituted collagen gels were prepared at pH 10 and room temperature, by mixing collagen with NaOH, NaCl and 0.05 to 0.2% of KGM. Collagen fibrillogenesis was monitored by spectrophotometric analysis at 310 nm. Gel samples were analyzed by compression tests, FTIR and SEM. Comparing to the control, the addition of KGM reduced the half-time (t1/2) of gelation fromca. 3 h to 2 h and the mechanical tests showed increases in the compressive strain energy of up to 3 times, and in compressive modulus of almost 4 times. Scanning electron images of collagen gel samples with KGM revealed the presence of micro-domains of KGM in the collagen matrix, revealing a phase separated scaffold for vascular tissue engineering.