Preparation of biointerfacial materials derived from gelatin with high melting point

We prepare amphiphilic agent consist of acylated gelatin to improve the adhesion of cell or tissue with artificial materials. Variously substituted hexanoyl, decanoyl, and myristoil gelatin are prepared using the corresponding carboxylic acid active ester in aqueous media at low temperature. We find that these acylated gelatins thus prepared are one of a thermoreversible gel forming materials and the melting temperatures of the acylated gelatin gels are rather lower than that of original gelatin gels except for myristoil derivatives. The melting points of myristoylated gelatin (27.5% of amino group are substituted) gel (16%) is 52.5°C that suggests the cross linking regions of the acylated gelatin gel may be stabilized by the hydrophobic interactions between acyl groups. When the gel is cast on a PET film, it is found that the resultant gel tightly stuck on the PET surface that suggests the acyl groups strongly interact with the PET film by the hydrophobic interaction. Although the entirely hydrophilic properties of the mostly outer layer of the gel surfaces are noted. These results indicate that the myristoilation of gelatin causes the preferable changes to the gelatin gel as a biointerfacial agent for hybridized artificial grafts.