Cultivation of bovine lipid chunks on Aloe vera scaffolds.

Abstract

Aloe vera, renowned for its medicinal and food applications, offers a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective scaffold material for cultured meat production. Our method repurposes Aloe vera parenchyma into a sustainable and innovative scaffold for CM production. These scaffolds, derived from agricultural byproducts, feature a porous structure that retains liquids and supports bovine mesenchymal stem cell (bMSC) adhesion, proliferation, and extracellular matrix formation. By incorporating oleic acid, the scaffolds enable the accumulation of fat-like tissue, creating "lipid chunks" that can enhance the texture and flavor profile of plant-based meat alternatives. Furthermore, scalability is addressed by culturing the scaffolds in a macrofluidic single-use bioreactor (MSUB), showcasing the potential for large-scale production. This work demonstrates Aloe vera scaffold's versatility as a cost-effective material and highlights its promise for sustainable protein solutions and tissue engineering applications.