Supporting Information

Pectin Methacrylate (PEMA) and Gelatin-Based Hydrogels for Cell-Delivery:

Converting Waste-Materials into Biomaterials
Mehdi Mehrali1, Ashish Thakur1, Firoz Babu Kadumudi1, Malgorzata Karolina Pierchala1, Julio Alvin Vacacela
Cordova1,2, Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi1, Mohammad Mehrali3, Cristian Pablo Pennisi2, Gorka Orive 4,5,6,7,
Akhilesh K. Gaharwar8,9,10, Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz1,11*
1Department of Health Technology, Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceutical,
Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs, Denmark
2Aalborg University, Department of Health Science and Technology, Laboratory for Stem Cell Research, Fredrik
Bajers vej 3B, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
3Facultyof Engineering Technology, Laboratory of Thermal Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede 7500
AE, The Netherlands
4NanoBioCelGroup, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country
UPV/EHU, Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
5Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN),
01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
6University Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Oral Implantology-UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundacion Eduardo
Anitua), 01007 Vitoria, Spain
7Singapore Eye Research Institute, the Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower, Singapore
8Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
9Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
10Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843,
USA
11Departmentof Regenerative Biomaterials, Radboud University Medical Center, Philips van Leydenlaan 25,
Nijmegen 6525 EX, The Netherlands.

Corresponding author: Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz (alirezadolatshahipirouz@gmail.com).

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Figure S1: 1H NMR spectra and FTIR characterization. (a) 1H NMR spectra of uncrosslinked and
crosslinked PEMA (Med) hydrogels recorded in deuterated water (D2O). (b) FTIR spectra of pure
pectin, uncroslinked and crosslinked modified pectin with different degrees of methacrylation (Low,
Med and High), and Gelin-S and PEMA-Gelin-S composite before and after UV exposure recorded in
DI water.

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Figure S2: Rheological analysis of the PEMA-Gelin-S. (a) Storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus
(G″) of the pre-polymer solution of PEMA-Gelin-S and (b) The viscosity of the precursor solutions of
PEMA-Gelin-S with shear rate varying from 0.01 to 100 s−1.

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Figure S3: Mechanical analysis. (a) Representative compressive stress–strain curve of PEMA (Med)-
Gelin-S hydrogel containing 1% (wt/v) PEMA (Med) and 1% (wt/v) Gelin-S polymer in the presence of
0.3% photo initiator (b) Cyclic stress-strain curves (up to five cycles of deformation at 40% strain)
corresponding to PEMA-Gelin-S hydrogel crosslinked (c) The ultimate stress, strain at breaking point and
compressive modulus of the respective PEMA-Gelin-S hydrogel are displayed here. The compressive
modulus was like-wise retrieved from the stress-strain curves by fitting the curves with a linear
equation in the 15% to 25% strain region. (d) The stress at 40% strain, total energy dissipated and
mechanical recovery after 40% strain were retrieved from the stress-strain curves and are shown here. The
differences in the ultimate stress between cycle 2 and 5 for the tested PEMA-Gelin-S hydrogel – in percentage
- are plotted here and denoted as recovery.
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Figure S4: (a) Phallodin (red)-Hoechst nuclear staining (blue) staining of the PEMA-Gelin-S-hMSC-laden
hydrogels at different time-points. Cell spreading was quantified as average cell area (N = 6). (b) Optical images
of ALP expression of PEMA-Gelin-S-hMSC-laden hydrogels cultured with and without differentiation medium
at day 7.

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