IN VITRO SELF-ASSEMBLY OF SILVER-LINE GRUNT TYPE I COLLAGEN: EFFECTS OF COLLAGEN CONCENTRATIONS, pH AND TEMPERATURES ON COLLAGEN SELF-ASSEMBLY

Collagen self-assembly of silver-line grunt type I collagen solution was done at a concentration of 1 mg/mL and at pH 5, 6, 7 and 8 with incubation temperatures of 25, 30 and 35C. The self-assembly of collagen showed typical sigmoid curves and had a short lag phase at pH 5, 6, 7 and 8. The lowest absorbance was found at pH 5.0, whereas pH 6.0 gave the highest absorbance and the fastest growth phase. The absorbance gradually increased at lower temperature, but rapidly increased at higher temperature. The rate of reconstruction also increased when the temperature increased from 20 to 30C, but the rate decreased when the temperature rose to 35C. The rate increased rapidly with increasing pH from 5.0 to 6.0, but decreased with raising pH from 6.0 to 8.0. The scanning electron micrographs of the collagen fibrils reconstructed at pH 6.0 were thicker, more uniform and more interwoven than fibrils formed at pH 7.0.