3D Printing of a Chitosan and Tamarind Gum Ink: a Two-Step Approach.

Abstract

3D bioprinting stands out as one of the most promising innovations in the field of high technologies for personalized biomedicine, enabling the fabrication of biomaterial-based scaffolds designed to repair, restore, or regenerate tissues and organs in the body. Among the various materials used as inks, hydrogels play a critical role due to their unique characteristics, including excellent biocompatibility, adjustable mechanical properties, and high solvent retention. This versatility makes them ideal for various applications such as biomedical devices, drug delivery, or flexible electronics. Although chitosan is a promising material for such applications, when used alone, it does not possess the necessary strength and stiffness for creating high-resolution 3D bioprinted structures. In this study, we propose a combined method for the fabrication of self-supporting 3D printed objects with an ink made of chitosan and tamarind gum. Our approach involves two key techniques. The first one is a controlled evaporation of the solvent, aiming to increase the concentration of the components of the ink. The second one relies on printing in a gelling bath composed of sodium hydroxide and ethanol, allowing for improved printability and long-term stability of the scaffolds. The results obtained revealed the possibility of modulating the concentration of the components based on the heating time. The latter positively influences not only the ink printability but also the properties of the resulting scaffolds such as their biodegradability and mechanical properties.