Study on Genipin: A New Alternative Natural Crosslinking Agent for Fixing Heterograft Tissue

Background: In cardiac surgery, especially in the reconstruction of vascular structures and intracardiac defects, glutaraldehyde has usually been used as the reagent for fixing porcine or bovine pericardial tissues. But the well-known problem of calcification or cytotoxicity of glutaraldehyde motivates the search for a replacement. The aim of this study is to investigate the physical, mechanical, and biochemical characteristics of bovine pericardial tissues fixed with genipin, which is known to be a less toxic and more natural fixing reagent. Materials and Methods: Bovine pericardial tissues were fixed with different concentrations and conditions of glutaraldehyde and genipin. To determine the physical, mechanical, and biochemical differences among different concentrations and conditions, we divided the tissue into 18 groups by concentration, the addition of organic solvents, and the timing of adding the organic solvents, and compared the characteristics of each group. Results: Tensile strength, physical activity, and thermal stability tests revealed that the tissues fixed with glutaraldehyde were better with regard to mechanical strength and biochemical durability. However, the difference was not significant statistically. Conclusion: Genipin can be used as an alternative crosslinking agent for pericardial tissue, considering given its physical, mechanical, biochemical characteristics and low cytotoxicity comparable to glutaraldehyde. However, further studies are needed on the immune reaction and the long term changes in genipin-fixed tissues in the human body.