Evaluation of Gelatin-PCL scaffold using polynomial model for skin tissue engineering

The mechanical behavior of the scaffold plays a crucial role in tissue engineering applications. This research aimed to fabricate a gelatin/polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold for use in tissue engineering and evaluate the stress-strain relationship of the scaffold to analyze the shear modulus of the material. The scaffold was fabricated by blending gelatin with polycaprolactone and using the salt leaching technique to create a porous structure under various gelatin and PCL conditions. Uniaxial compression tests and uniaxial tension tests were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of the gelatin/PCL scaffolds. Data on applied pressure and displacement were used to establish the relationship between engineering stress and strain. The deformation characteristics of the scaffold include significant and non-linear behavior. The calculation of the shear modulus is based on a hyperelastic model that generates curves closely aligned with the engineering stress and strain curves. The polynomial model, a type of hyperelastic model, can predict the deformation behavior of materials under non-linear deformation. The constants of the polynomial model were analyzed to determine the shear modulus. The shear modulus of the gelatin/PCL scaffolds was found to range between 3.22 megapascals (MPa) and 60.00 MPa. The GP 82 scaffold exhibited the highest compression test value at 19.60 MPa, while the GP 91 scaffold showed the highest tension test value at 60.00 MPa. The GP 64 scaffold displayed the lowest value at 3.22 MPa. This polynomial model can predict the mechanical behavior of non-linearly deformed scaffolds, making it applicable for tissue engineering applications.