2023 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 97-104
Gelatin-based materials are promising biomaterials for applications in medicine and dentistry. Dehydrothermal treated (vacuum heated) epigallocatechin-conjugated gelatin sponges with or without beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) granules show greater bone-forming ability than those without this treatment. However, there is a paucity of information associated with the effect of vacuum heating conditions for these materials. In this study, we verified the changes in temperature and time during vacuum heating for the surface topography and viscoelasticity of epigallocatechin-conjugated gelatin sponges with or without β-TCP granules. In scanning electron microscopic observation, there were negligible changes in microstructure or surface topography of epigallocatechin-conjugated gelatin sponges up to 200°C for 4 h or 150°C for 24 h. Meanwhile, in the dynamic viscoelasticity test, the values of the storage and loss moduli remarkably increased beyond 100°C after 4 h heating or extending the heating time up to 16 h at 150°C. This increase was presumably associated with cross-linking in the epigallocatechin-conjugated gelatin. These results offer insights into the use of dehydrothermal treatment with vacuum heating for gelatin-based biomaterials with polyphenols.
