Dialdehyde cellulose-crosslinked collagen and its physicochemical properties

• The methodology applied in this work may be instrumental to produce biomaterials.
• We report a marked increase in thermostability of collagen structure.
• The crosslinking of collagen by DAC improves its mechanical properties.
• DAC-treated collagen shows low susceptibility towards biodegradation.
• The porosity of collagen after the modification tends to decline.

The research has focused on the modification of the physicochemical properties of silver carp collagen by using 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) as a crosslinking agent. DAC was prepared by a regioselective oxidation of cellulose with periodate. The effect of collagen crosslinking on its properties, particularly structural, biological, thermal and mechanical viscoelastic behavior has been investigated. FTIR studies demonstrate that crosslinking is achieved through the reaction of the DAC aldehyde groups with the free amino groups of collagen. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements reveal that the denaturation temperature (Td) of collagen after the modification with DAC increases from 79 to 94 °C. Moreover, the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) shows that the DAC crosslinking influences the viscoelastic behavior of fish collagen. Tan δmax peak associated with the process of decomposition shifts toward higher temperatures, indicating a higher thermal stability of crosslinked collagen. Enzymatic analyses and assay of the crosslinking efficiency also demonstrate the stabilizing effect of DAC on collagen macromolecules.

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