A review on directional muscle cell growth in scaffolding biomaterials with aligned porous structures for cultivated meat production

• Published in: Food research international 2023-06, Vol.168, p.112755-112755, Article 112755
• Main Authors: Rao, Kummara Madhusudana, Choi, Soon Mo, Han, Sung Soo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aligned porous structures; animals; biocompatible materials; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; biopolymers; cell growth; Cell Proliferation; Cultured meat; Directional muscle cell growth; food research; meat; meat production; Muscle Cells; muscle tissues; Muscles; Porosity; Scaffolds; slaughter; texture; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112755

[Display omitted] •Scaffolds suitable for use in food products are essential in cultured meat production.•Non-animal sourced materials are important for culture meat production.•Aligned scaffolding architecture suitable for textured meat production.•Myotube formation depends on the alignment of scaffolding structure. Scaffolds suitable for use in food products are essential in cultured meat production. Simultaneously, efforts are being undertaken to strengthen the scaffolding to improve cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue formation. Muscle cells proliferate and differentiate according to the directional patterns of the scaffold, similar to natural tissue and native muscle tissue. Therefore, establishing an aligned pattern in the scaffolding architecture is vital for cultured meat applications. Recent studies on the fabrication of scaffolds with aligned porosity structures and their utility in manufacturing cultured meat are highlighted in this review. In addition, the directional growth of muscle cells in terms of proliferation and differentiation has also been explored, along with the aligned scaffolding architectures. The aligned porosity architecture of the scaffolds supports the texture and quality of meat-like structures. Although it is difficult to build adequate scaffolds for culturing meat manufactured from diverse biopolymers, it is necessary to develop novel methods to create aligned scaffolding structures. Furthermore, to avoid animal slaughter in the future, it will be imperative to adopt non-animal-based biomaterials, growth factors, and serum-free media conditions for quality meat production.