International journal of biological macromoleculesSep 23, 2025

3D Printing of Genipin-Strengthened Alginate-Gelatin Material for Tissue Repair

Regenerative Health Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jan 7, 2026

Abstract

The bioink achieved a compressive modulus of up to 0.023 MPa at 1 % genipin concentration.

A novel 3D-printable bioink was created using a composite of 7 % gelatin and 9 % alginate.
Genipin crosslinking improved compressive strength and degradation resistance of the bioink.
Biological tests showed cell viability exceeding 100 % and good cell adhesion at 0.1 % and 0.5 % genipin concentrations.
Higher genipin concentrations (1 %) led to decreased cell adhesion and viability, dropping to 81 %.
The study suggests that these hydrogels have tunable properties, making them suitable for various tissue engineering applications.

Simplified

Tissue engineering demands scaffolds that replicate the extracellular matrix to foster cell growth and tissue regeneration. This study introduces a novel 3D-printable bioink formulated from a composite of 7 % gelatin and 9 % alginate, crosslinked with genipin, a naturally derived, low-toxicity agent at concentrations of 0 %, 0.1 %, 0.5 %, and 1 %. Optimized for extrusion-based 3D printing at 15 °C, the bioink achieved excellent shape fidelity, enabling the fabrication of mechanically robust and biologically supportive scaffolds. Physicochemical characterization revealed that genipin crosslinking enhanced the compressive modulus (up to 0.023 MPa at 1 % genipin) and degradation resistance, though higher concentrations reduced the swelling ratio. Biological evaluations with human dermal fibroblasts demonstrated superior cell viability (>100 %) and cell adhesion at 0.1 % and 0.5 % genipin; while 1 % genipin decreased cell adhesion and viability to 81 % and impaired hemocompatibility (>5 % hemolysis). These findings highlight the tunable characteristics of genipin-crosslinked alginate/gelatin hydrogels, offering a versatile platform for engineering functional tissue constructs with balanced mechanical and biological properties, suitable for advanced tissue engineering applications.

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Declaration of competing interest The authors whose names are listed certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

PubMed

3D Printing of Genipin-Strengthened Alginate-Gelatin Material for Tissue Repair

Abstract

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