Development of molecularly imprinted vegetarian membranes (MIP-VMs) for oral tissue repair and regeneration

Introduction Periodontitis-related tooth loss remains inadequately managed, largely due to high dental implant failure rates associated with poor osseointegration. While commercial membranes (i.e., Bio-Gide®, considered the gold standard in dentistry) are widely used to facilitate guided bone regeneration (GBR), their animal-based origin presents ethical, procurement, and accessibility concerns. This study combines a traditional tissue engineering approach to material development with molecular imprinting chemistry to develop a novel, animal-free, recognition-capable biomaterial. Methods Icariin, a bioactive flavonoid compound implicated in enhanced osseointegration and tissue regeneration, was imprinted onto eggshell membrane (ESM), onion epidermis (OE) and tomato exocarp (TE) via crosslinking, to evaluate imprinting efficiency and functional performance. The resulting molecularly imprinted vegetarian membranes (MIP-VMs) were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and icariin binding assays, followed by biocompatibility assessment using human gingival fibroblasts. Results Among the tested formulations, the tannic acid (TA)-crosslinked molecularly imprinted ESM (MIP-ESM) demonstrated the most favourable overall performance, exhibiting enhanced stiffness (Young’s modulus increased from 8.5 MPa to 14.0 MPa), increased hydrophilicity (p < 0.01), and improved cytocompatibility (p < 0.05). Notably, the MIP-VMs exhibited several properties comparable to Bio-Gide®, supporting their potential as accessible alternative membrane materials for GBR and other clinical applications. Discussion Overall, these results demonstrate the feasibility of generating functional tissue-engineering scaffolds from animal-free materials and present a simple strategy for imprinting membranes with therapeutic agents, highlighting their translational potential in regenerative medicine.