Effect of gelatin concentration and freezing temperature on porous scaffolds for cultured meat

Cultured meat is an emerging green alternative for livestock and poultry meat obtained from cultured protein in laboratories or factories. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds are widely used in cultured meat production by simulating extracellular matrix to support cell culture in vitro. Currently, the scaffolds used for the fabrication of cultured meat lack the research on porous structures, which limit cell growth and differentiation and simulation of distinct textural characteristics of traditional meat. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of food-grade scaffolds prepared with different gelatin concentrations and freezing temperatures to support cell attachment and growth. The result showed 6% gelatin scaffolds prepared at -80 °C or liquid nitrogen demonstrated suitable porous structures and promoted the proliferation and differentiation of muscle stem cells (MSCs) to improve the expression of genes and proteins (myogenin and myosin) related to myogenic progression. The scaffolds also created 3D-engineered cultured meat tissues that closely mimic the mechanical properties of traditional meat. This study provides the theoretical baseline for developing porous scaffolds for efficient cultured meat production in the meat substitute industry.