title: Utilization of flax fibers for biomedical applications.
abstract: Over the past decades, a large number of animal-derived materials have been introduced for several biomedical applications. Surprisingly, the use of plant-based materials has lagged behind. To study the feasibility of plant-derived biomedical materials, we chose flax (Linum usitatissimum). Flax fibers possess excellent physical-mechanical properties, are nonbiodegradable, and there is extensive know-how on weaving/knitting of them. One area where they could be useful is as implantable mesh structures in surgery, in particular for the repair of incisional hernias of the abdominal wall. Starting with a bleached flax thread, a prototype mesh was specifically knitted for this study, and its cytocompatibility was studied in vitro and in vivo. The experimental data revealed that application of flax in surgery first requires a robust method to remove endotoxins and purify the flax fiber. Such a method was developed, and purified meshes did not cause loss of cell viability in vitro. In addition, endotoxins determined using limulus amebocyte lysate test were at acceptable levels. In vivo, the flax meshes showed only mild inflammation, comparable to commercial polypropylene meshes. This study revealed that plant-derived biomaterials can provide a new class of implantable materials that could be used as surgical meshes or for other biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sophie A A X
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Ruben R M
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Vogels
authors.forename: Nicole D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Bouvy
authors.forename: Menno L W
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Knetsch
authors.forename: Nynke M S
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: van den Akker
authors.forename: Marion J J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gijbels
authors.forename: Cees
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Marel
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: Daniel G M
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Molin
authors.forename: Leo H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Koole
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D019597:Flax / Q000737:chemistry*; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D011126:Polypropylenes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012997:Solvents; D013526:Surgical Mesh
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004731:Endotoxins; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011126:Polypropylenes; D012997:Solvents; D002482:Cellulose
keywords: biocompatibility/soft tissue; cell-material interactions; fiber; flax; implantable mesh