# Effect of Yak Skin Gelatin with Different Molecular Weights on the Properties of Gelatin/Polymethyl Vinyl Ether-alt-maleic-anhydride Copolymer Composite Scaffold Material

## TL;DR

This study explores how different molecular weights of yak skin gelatin affect the properties of composite scaffolds for tissue engineering.

## Contribution

The novel use of yak skin gelatin and its molecular weight impact on scaffold properties is investigated for the first time.

## Key findings

- Higher molecular weight yak skin gelatin increases hemolysis rate and alters mechanical properties.
- Gelatin with 0.1–0.22 μm molecular weight shows optimal mechanical strength and cell adhesion.
- No cytotoxic effects were observed across all tested gelatin molecular weights.

## Abstract

Gelatin has been
extensively documented for its utility in tissue
engineering applications. However, the exploration of yak skin gelatin
as a novel gelatin source remains under-reported, particularly regarding
the impact of varying molecular weights on the attributes of composite
scaffold materials. This study investigates the distinctive behaviors
of yak skin gelatin fractions with different molecular weights, assessing
fundamental properties through electrophoretic analysis, thermodynamic
property assessment, amino acid profiling, infrared spectroscopy,
and atomic force microscopy. Then, the polymethyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic-anhydride copolymer (PMVE-MA) was introduced
to fabricate the composite scaffold materials. It was observed that
the hemolysis rate escalated with increasing gelatin molecular weight.
Additionally, properties such as platelet adhesion and mechanical
stability exhibited a molecular-weight-dependent threshold behavior.
Importantly, no cytotoxic effects were observed across all groups.
Notably, scaffold materials fabricated by gelatin with a molecular
weight range of 0.1–0.22 μm demonstrated superior mechanical
strength and cell adhesion, positioning them as optimal candidates
for biodegradable vascular scaffold applications.