This work describes a new process for crosslinking of collagen matrices with glutaraldehyde for the preparation of improved material for biological heart valve manufacture which consists in the treatment of bovine pericardium with low and progressive increasing concentrations of glutaraldehyde from 0.005 to 0.5% in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The crosslinking reaction profile was more homogeneous compared to the conventional procedure and the material was characterized by a higher stability towards enzyme degradation, particularly in respect to trypsin hydrolysis by a factor of 17 times, with the required thermal and elastic properties. This increased enzyme stability is probably due to a more homogeneous crosslink distribution and/or increased density within the collagen matrix. The results showed that the sequential procedure may be a potential and efficient pre-treatment technique for the preparation of bovine pericardium derived materials for the manufacture of bioprosthesis.
Bovine pericardium; progressive crosslinking; glutaraldehyde; bioprosthesis
