title: Effect of sample treatment on biomechanical properties of insect cuticle.
abstract: Experimental limitations often prevent to perform biomechanical measurements on fresh arthropod cuticle samples. Hence, in many cases short- or long-term storage of samples is required. So far, it is not known whether any of the standard lab-techniques commonly used to fix or store insect cuticle samples in any way affects the biomechanical properties of the respective samples. In this paper we systematically address this question for the first time, with a focus on practical, easily accessible and common lab-methods including storage in water, ethanol, glutaraldehyde, freezing and desiccation. We performed a comprehensive and sensitive non-destructive Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) on locust hind leg tibiae using a three-point-bending setup. Our results show that from all tested treatments, freezing samples at -20 °C was the best option to maintain the original values for Young's modulus and damping properties of insect cuticle. In addition, our results indicate that the damping properties of locust hind legs might be mechanically optimized in respect to the jumping and kicking direction.
authors: Dept. New Materials and Biosystems, Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstr. 3, 70563 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Aberle
authors: Institute of Structures and Design, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors: Raouf
authors: R
authors: Jemmali
authors: Dept. New Materials and Biosystems, Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstr. 3, 70563 Stuttgart, Germany. Electronic address: jan-henning.dirks@hs-bremen.de.
authors: Jan-Henning
authors: JH
authors: Dirks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003890:Desiccation; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005615:Freezing; D005976:Glutaral / Q000737:chemistry; D006110:Grasshoppers; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; C047663:cuticle proteins, insects; D014867:Water; D000431:Ethanol; D005976:Glutaral
keywords: Biomechanics; Dynamic mechanical analysis; Insect cuticle; Sample treatment