Mechanical and biological properties of oxidized horn keratin

• Horn keratin with good mechanical property and degradation characteristic was obtained.
• Oxidized horn keratin has good biocompatibility to support its use as a biomaterial.
• Oxidized horn keratin offers a potential application of implanted biomaterial devices.

The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanical and biological properties of oxidized keratin materials, which were obtained by using buffalo horns to oxidize. It could provide a way to evaluate their potential for clinical translatability. The characterization on their composition, mechanical properties, and biological responses was performed. It is found that the oxidation process could lead the disulfide bond to break down and then to form sulfonic acid, or even make partial peptide chain to be fragment for the new modification of amino acid. Hence the oxidized horn keratins have lower thermal stability and hydrolytic stability in comparison with horn keratin, but the degradation products of oxidized horn keratins have no significant difference. In addition, the mechanical properties of oxidized horn keratins are poorer than that of horn keratin, but the oxidized horn keratins still have disulfide bonds to form a three-dimensional structure, which benefits for their mechanical properties. The fracture toughness of oxidized horn keratins increases with the increase in the degree of oxidation. After oxidation, the oxidized horn keratins have lower cytotoxicity and lower hemolysis ratio. Moreover, when the oxidized horn keratins, as well as different concentration of degradation products of oxidized horn keratins, are directly in contact with platelet-rich plasma, platelets are not activated. It suggests that the oxidized horn keratins have good hemocompatibility, without triggering blood thrombosis. The implantation experiment in vivo also demonstrates that the oxidized horn keratins are compatible with the tissue, because there are minimal fibrous capsule and less of infiltration of host cells, without causing serious inflammation. In summary, the oxidized horn keratins can act as implanted biomaterial devices that are directly in contact with blood and tissue.

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