Effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose on collagen fibril formation in vitro

► Effect of HPMC on collagen fibril formation in vitro was studied. ► The amount of nuclei of blends in solution increased due to the addition of HPMC. ► At HPMC/collagen = 0.25, thermal stability and storage moduli reached the maximum. ► Denser fibrils with smaller diameter would be obtained as HPMC/collagen < 0.25. ► Both hydrogen bonding and volume exclusion had effects on collagen self-assembly.