title: A new class of bio-composite materials of unique collagen fibers.
abstract: A novel collagen-based bio-composite was constructed from micro-crimped long collagen fiber bundles extracted from a soft coral embedded in alginate hydrogel matrix. The mechanical features of this bio-composite were studied for different fiber fractions and in longitudinal and transverse loading modes. The tensile modulus of the alginate hydrogel was 0.60±0.35MPa and in longitudinal collagen-reinforced construct it increased up to 9.71±2.80 for 50% fiber fraction. Ultimate tensile strength was elevated from 0.08±0.04MPa in matrix up to 1.21±0.29 for fiber fraction of 30%. The bio-composite demonstrated hyperelastic behavior similar to human native tissues. Additionally, a dedicated constitutive material model was developed to enable the prediction of the longitudinal mechanical behavior of the bio-composite. These findings will allow tailor-designed mechanical properties with a quantitatively controlled amount of fibers and their designed spatial arrangement. This unique bio-composite has the potential to be used for a wide range of engineered soft tissues.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, The Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Department of Cell And Developmental Biology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Mirit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mandelberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell And Developmental Biology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Dafna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benayahu
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Benayahu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Abdussalam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azem
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, The Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Electronic address: rami98@tau.ac.il.
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haj-Ali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008422:Materials Testing; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001688:Biological Products; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens
keywords: Bio-composite; Collagen; Hyperelastic; Mechanical behavior; Soft tissue