Correction: Mohd Azmi et al. Application of Plant Proteases in Meat Tenderization: Recent Trends and Future Prospects. Foods 2023, 12, 1336.

In the original publication [...].

Identification and validation of putative biomarkers by in silico analysis, mRNA expression and oxidative stress indicators for negative energy balance in buffaloes during transition period.

OBJECTIVE: Transition period is considered from 3 weeks prepartum to 3 weeks postpartum, characterized with dramatic events (endocrine, metabolic, and physiological) leading to occurrence of production diseases (negative energy balance/ketosis, milk fever etc). The objectives of our study were to analyze the periodic concentration of serum beta-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA), glucose and oxidative markers along with identification, and validation of the putative markers of negative energy balance in buffaloes using in-silico and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. METHODS: Out of 20 potential markers of ketosis identified by in-silico analysis, two were selected and analyzed by qRT-PCR technique (upregulated; acetyl serotonin o-methyl transferase like and down regulated; guanylate cyclase activator 1B). Additional two sets of genes (carnitine palmotyl transferase A; upregulated and Insulin growth factor; downregulated) that have a role of hepatic fatty acid oxidation to maintain energy demands via gluconeogenesis were also validated. Extracted cDNA (complementary deoxyribonucleic acid) from the blood of the buffaloes were used for validation of selected genes via qRTPCR. Concentrations of BHBA, glucose and oxidative stress markers were identified with their respective optimized protocols. RESULTS: The analysis of qRT-PCR gave similar trends as shown by in-silico analysis throughout the transition period. Significant changes (p<0.05) in the levels of BHBA, glucose and oxidative stress markers throughout this period were observed. This study provides validation from in-silico and qRT-PCR assays for potential markers to be used for earliest diagnosis of negative energy balance in buffaloes. CONCLUSION: Apart from conventional diagnostic methods, this study improves the understanding of putative biomarkers at the molecular level which helps to unfold their role in normal immune function, fat synthesis/metabolism and oxidative stress pathways. Therefore, provides an opportunity to discover more accurate and sensitive diagnostic aids.

The Association between Socioeconomic Profiles, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Dairy Farmers Regarding Somatic Cell Count and Milk Quality.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between the bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and dairy farmers' knowledge about milk quality, mastitis control, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Additionally, we estimated the association between the bulk tank SCC and bulk tank milk hygienic quality in dairy herds. Bulk tank milk samples from 120 dairy herds enrolled in the milk quality payment program were collected for the determination of the SCC, the total bacterial count (TBC), the preliminary incubation count (PIC), the laboratory pasteurization count (PC), and the coliform count (CC). Based on the bulk tank SCC results, 63 herds were selected and categorized into three groups: (a) low SCC: ≤250,000 cells/mL (n = 16); (b) medium SCC: >250,000 ≤ 400,000 cells/mL (n = 24); and (c) high SCC: >400,000 cells/mL (n = 23). Socioeconomic profiles, attitudes, and knowledge of somatic cell count and milk quality were assessed using previously tested questionnaires, which were used to interview the herd managers of the 63 selected dairy herds. Among the findings, 87.0% of the dairy herds had an SCC < 400 × 103 cells/mL, and presented milk production as the main economic activity of the farm, whereas only 47.0% of dairy herds with an SCC > 400 × 103 cells/mL had milk production as the main economic activity of the farm (p < 0.031). In a total of 95% of the selected herds (n = 60), milking machines were used, with pipeline milking machines being more predominant, accounting for 70.8% in herds with a medium somatic cell count (SCC) and 78.3% in herds with a high SCC, as opposed to herds with a low SCC at 50% (p < 0.031). The frequency of dairy producers' awareness of the maximum legal requirements for the bulk tank SCC and TBC was higher in herds with a higher SCC than in herds with a medium SCC. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate a significant association between the bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and dairy farmers' knowledge about milk quality, mastitis control, and socioeconomic characteristics. These findings emphasize the importance of knowledge and the socioeconomic profiles of dairy farms in maintaining and enhancing milk quality in dairy herds.

Advances in Diagnostic Approaches and Therapeutic Management in Bovine Mastitis.

Mastitis causes huge economic losses to dairy farmers worldwide, which largely negatively affects the quality and quantity of milk. Mastitis decreases overall milk production, degrades milk quality, increases milk losses because of milk being discarded, and increases overall production costs due to higher treatment and labour costs and premature culling. This review article discusses mastitis with respect to its clinical epidemiology, the pathogens involved, economic losses, and basic and advanced diagnostic tools that have been used in recent times to diagnose mastitis effectively. There is an increasing focus on the application of novel therapeutic approaches as an alternative to conventional antibiotic therapy because of the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics, emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, issue of antibiotic residues in the food chain, food safety issues, and environmental impacts. This article also discussed nanoparticles'/chitosan's roles in antibiotic-resistant strains and ethno-veterinary practices for mastitis treatment in dairy cattle.

Regorafenib plus nivolumab in patients with mismatch repair-proficient/microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer: a single-arm, open-label, multicentre phase 2 study.

Background: Anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibodies plus multikinase inhibitors have shown encouraging activity in several tumour types, including colorectal cancer. This study assessed regorafenib plus nivolumab in patients with microsatellite stable/mismatch repair-proficient metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods: This single-arm, open-label, multicentre phase 2 study enrolled adults from 13 sites in the USA with previously treated advanced microsatellite stable/mismatch repair-proficient metastatic colorectal cancer. Eligible patients had known extended RAS and BRAF status, progression or intolerance to no more than two (for extended RAS mutant) or three (for extended RAS wild type) lines of systemic chemotherapy and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Regorafenib 80 mg/day was administered orally for 3 weeks on/1 week off (increased to 120 mg/day if 80 mg/day was well tolerated) with intravenous nivolumab 480 mg every 4 weeks. Primary endpoint was objective response rate. Secondary endpoints included safety, overall survival, and progression-free survival. Exploratory endpoints included biomarkers associated with antitumour activity. Patients who received at least one dose of study intervention were included in the efficacy and safety analyses. Tumour assessments were carried out every 8 weeks for the first year, and every 12 weeks thereafter until progressive disease/end of the study, and objective response rate was analysed after all patients had met the criteria for primary completion of five post-baseline scans and either 10-months' follow-up or drop out. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04126733. Findings: Between 14 October 2019 and 14 January 2020, 94 patients were enrolled, 70 received treatment. Five patients had a partial response, yielding an objective response rate of 7% (95% CI 2.4-15.9; p = 0.27). All responders had no liver metastases at baseline. Median overall survival (data immature) and progression-free survival were 11.9 months (95% CI 7.0-not evaluable) and 1.8 months (95% CI 1.8-2.4), respectively. Most patients (97%, 68/70) experienced a treatment-related adverse event; 51% were grade 1 or 2, 40% were grade 3, 3% were grade 4, and 3% were grade 5. The most common (≥20%) events were fatigue (26/70), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (19/70), maculopapular rash (17/70), increased blood bilirubin (14/70), and decreased appetite (14/70). Higher baseline expression of tumour biomarkers of immune sensitivity correlated with antitumour activity. Interpretation: Further studies are warranted to identify subgroups of patients with clinical characteristics or biomarkers that would benefit most from treatment with regorafenib plus nivolumab. Funding: Bayer/Bristol Myers Squibb.

Application of Plant Proteases in Meat Tenderization: Recent Trends and Future Prospects.

Papain, bromelain, and ficin are commonly used plant proteases used for meat tenderization. Other plant proteases explored for meat tenderization are actinidin, zingibain, and cucumin. The application of plant crude extracts or powders containing higher levels of compounds exerting tenderizing effects is also gaining popularity due to lower cost, improved sensory attributes of meat, and the presence of bioactive compounds exerting additional benefits in addition to tenderization, such as antioxidants and antimicrobial effects. The uncontrolled plant protease action could cause excessive tenderization (mushy texture) and poor quality due to an indiscriminate breakdown of proteins. The higher cost of separation and the purification of enzymes, unstable structure, and poor stability of these enzymes due to autolysis are some major challenges faced by the food industry. The meat industry is targeting the recycling of enzymes and improving their stability and shelf-life by immobilization, encapsulation, protein engineering, medium engineering, and stabilization during tenderization. The present review critically analyzed recent trends and the prospects of the application of plant proteases in meat tenderization.

An Open-Source Package for Thermal and Multispectral Image Analysis for Plants in Glasshouse.

Advanced plant phenotyping techniques to measure biophysical traits of crops are helping to deliver improved crop varieties faster. Phenotyping of plants using different sensors for image acquisition and its analysis with novel computational algorithms are increasingly being adapted to measure plant traits. Thermal and multispectral imagery provides novel opportunities to reliably phenotype crop genotypes tested for biotic and abiotic stresses under glasshouse conditions. However, optimization for image acquisition, pre-processing, and analysis is required to correct for optical distortion, image co-registration, radiometric rescaling, and illumination correction. This study provides a computational pipeline that optimizes these issues and synchronizes image acquisition from thermal and multispectral sensors. The image processing pipeline provides a processed stacked image comprising RGB, green, red, NIR, red edge, and thermal, containing only the pixels present in the object of interest, e.g., plant canopy. These multimodal outputs in thermal and multispectral imageries of the plants can be compared and analysed mutually to provide complementary insights and develop vegetative indices effectively. This study offers digital platform and analytics to monitor early symptoms of biotic and abiotic stresses and to screen a large number of genotypes for improved growth and productivity. The pipeline is packaged as open source and is hosted online so that it can be utilized by researchers working with similar sensors for crop phenotyping.

Understanding, Status, and Therapeutic Potentials of Stem Cells in Goat.

The utility of animal stem cells finds implications in enhancing milk, meat, and fiber production and serving animal models for human diseases. Stem cells are involved in tissue development, growth, and repair, and in regenerative therapy. Caprine embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and other tissue-specific adult stem cells (ASCs) have tremendous potential for their use in regenerative medicine. The application of goat ESCs, iPSCs, mammary stem cells (MaSC), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and others can find their implication in increasing caprine production potential and human disease model. The onset of the disease and therapeutic effects of stem cells of many human diseases like sub-fertility, joint conditions, intervertebral disc defects, osteoarthritis, and chondrogenesis can be well studied in goats. Increasing evidence of MSCs and their secreted factors have drawn the attention of animal scientists in regenerative medicine. This review summarizes a comprehensive overview of research made on caprine stem cells and illustrates some potential applications of stem cells in caprine regenerative medicine and their utility as a model animal in understanding human diseases.

Bioengineered Ciprofloxacin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Bovine Mastitis.

Mastitis is the most devastating economic disease in dairy cattle. Mastitis in dairy cattle frequently occurs during the dry period or during early lactation. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)are the main causative agents of mastitis in India. S. aureus can form microabscesses in the udder and develop a subclinical form of mastitis. This bacterial property hinders an effective cure during the lactation period. Antimicrobials used for treatments have a short half-life at the site of action because of frequent milking; thereforethey are unable to maintain the desired drug concentration for effective clearance of bacteria. We demonstrated the potential of ciprofloxacin-encapsulated nanocarriersthat can improve the availability of drugs and provide an effective means for mastitis treatment. These drug-loaded nanoparticles show low toxicity and slow clearance from the site of action. Antimicrobial activity against clinical strains of E. coli and S. aureus showed that the zone of inhibition depended on the dose (0.5 mg to 2 mg/mL nanoparticle solution from 11.6 to 14.5 mm and 15 to 18 mm). These nanoparticles showed good antimicrobial activity in broth culture and agar diffusion assay against bacteria.

Nipah and Hendra Viruses: Deadly Zoonotic Paramyxoviruses with the Potential to Cause the Next Pandemic.

Nipah and Hendra viruses are deadly zoonotic paramyxoviruses with a case fatality rate of upto 75%. The viruses belong to the genus henipavirus in the family Paramyxoviridae, a family of negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. The natural reservoirs of NiV and HeV are bats (flying foxes) in which the virus infection is asymptomatic. The intermediate hosts for NiV and HeV are swine and equine, respectively. In humans, NiV infections result in severe and often fatal respiratory and neurological manifestations. The Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia and Singapore following an outbreak of encephalitis in pig farmers and subsequent outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh and India almost every year. Due to its extreme pathogenicity, pandemic potential, and lack of established antiviral therapeutics and vaccines, research on henipaviruses is highly warranted so as to develop antivirals or vaccines that could aid in the prevention and control of future outbreaks.

Applications of Omics Technology for Livestock Selection and Improvement.

Conventional animal selection and breeding methods were based on the phenotypic performance of the animals. These methods have limitations, particularly for sex-limited traits and traits expressed later in the life cycle (e.g., carcass traits). Consequently, the genetic gain has been slow with high generation intervals. With the advent of high-throughput omics techniques and the availability of multi-omics technologies and sophisticated analytic packages, several promising tools and methods have been developed to estimate the actual genetic potential of the animals. It has now become possible to collect and access large and complex datasets comprising different genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phonemics data as well as animal-level data (such as longevity, behavior, adaptation, etc.,), which provides new opportunities to better understand the mechanisms regulating animals' actual performance. The cost of omics technology and expertise of several fields like biology, bioinformatics, statistics, and computational biology make these technology impediments to its use in some cases. The population size and accurate phenotypic data recordings are other significant constraints for appropriate selection and breeding strategies. Nevertheless, omics technologies can estimate more accurate breeding values (BVs) and increase the genetic gain by assisting the section of genetically superior, disease-free animals at an early stage of life for enhancing animal productivity and profitability. This manuscript provides an overview of various omics technologies and their limitations for animal genetic selection and breeding decisions.

Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Bovine Mastitis Milk Origin Bacteria and Linkage of Intramammary Infection With Milk Quality.

Mastitis is a multi-etiological complex disease of dairy cows and negatively affects the quality and quantity of milk. Milk is a nutritious food for human being; milk quality is negatively affected by intramammary infection of dairy cows. A total of 300 milk samples were collected from mastitis dairy cows irrespective of parity and stage of lactation, 235 (78.33%) samples were culturally positive and yielded 1,100 bacterial isolates. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the prime etiological agent involved in the mastitis of dairy cows, followed by Escherichia coli and other environmental pathogens. On the molecular characterization of isolates obtained from the milk culture, various toxic genes such as nuc, seb, hla, stx1, stx2, hly, and Sagl were found on different isolated bacteria. Milk somatic cell counts (SCC) were found to be directly related to the severity of mastitis. On drawing the SCC correlation with milk components, it was found that SCC had a significant negative correlation with fat, lactose, solid not fat (SNF), and ash. It was concluded that mastitis-affected milk contains numerous pathogenic bacteria, toxins, and reduced milk quality, which is unfit for human consumption.

A systematic review of methodologies and techniques for integrating ergonomics into development and assessment of manually operated equipment.

Objective. Humans have limited power and require mechanization, to meet high energy demand, through equipment. We initiated this study to accumulate data from previous research to identify critical issues and approaches in implementing ergonomic principles into the design, intervention, development and assessment of manually operated equipment. Method. The literature search was carried out in scientific databases: Scopus and PubMed. Fifty-three research articles, meeting the inclusion criteria, were selected for this review. Results. The study indicated a propensity of countries with lower-middle-income and high-income groups, and of the agricultural and manufacturing sector toward research and development of manually operated equipment. A thorough study of the equipment design process revealed that health and safety was the prime motivator in the pre-design phase, an experimental prototype approach was most utilized in the design phase and a direct measurement technique was most frequently used in the post-design phase. Conclusion. The study highlights the scarcity of research in the integration of ergonomics into the design of manually operated equipment among countries with the low-income group. This study also promotes the use of virtual design and assessment techniques for cost-effectiveness.

Technological interventions in improving the functionality of proteins during processing of meat analogs.

Meat analogs have opened a new horizon of opportunities for developing a sustainable alternative for meat and meat products. Proteins are an integral part of meat analogs and their functionalities have been extensively studied to mimic meat-like appearance and texture. Proteins have a vital role in imparting texture, nutritive value, and organoleptic attributes to meat analogs. Processing of suitable proteins from vegetable, mycoproteins, algal, and single-cell protein sources remains a challenge and several technological interventions ranging from the isolation of proteins to the processing of products are required. The present paper reviews and discusses in detail various proteins (soy proteins, wheat gluten, zein, algal proteins, mycoproteins, pulses, potato, oilseeds, pseudo-cereals, and grass) and their suitability for meat analog production. The review also discusses other associated aspects such as processing interventions that can be adapted to improve the functional and textural attributes of proteins in the processing of meat analogs (extrusion, spinning, Couette shear cell, additive manufacturing/3D printing, and freeze structuring). '.

Antimicrobial activity of synthetic antimicrobial peptides loaded in poly-Ɛ-caprolactone nanoparticles against mycobacteria and their functional synergy with rifampicin.

Tuberculosis (TB) treatment has become a challenge because of the natural presence of multilayered cell wall rich in lipids which restrict antibiotic permeability within the bacteria. The development of mutations conferring resistance has aggravated the situation. Consequently, maximum pharmaceutical efforts are required to improve the treatment, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with antimycobacterial activity can be exploited as a new treatment strategy against TB. The synergistic interaction between conventional antibiotics and AMPs has broadened its application landscape. To overcome peptide instability and bioavailability issues, encapsulation of these bioactive in biocompatible polymers was adopted. In this study, the effect of synthetic AMPs HHC-8 [KIWWWWRKR] and MM-10 [MLLKKLLKKM] encapsulated in poly (ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles (PCL-NPs) was evaluated against mycobacteria using REMA (Resazurin Microtiter Assay Plate) technique. PCL encapsulation allowed us to load the required amount of peptides, i.e. HHC-8 and MM-10, with an efficiency of âˆ¼ 18.9 ± 5.24 and âˆ¼ 21.1 ± 6.19 % respectively, and sphere size was around 376.5 ± 14.9 nm and 289.87 ± 17.98 nm for PCL-HHC-8-NPs and PCL-MM-10-NPs, respectively. Minimal degradation and sustained release of peptides from nanoparticles improved antimicrobial activity, decreasing the MIC50 from 75 µg/ml to 18.75 µg/ml against M. smegmatis and from 75 µg/ml to 9 µg/ml against M. tuberculosis, respectively. The combinatorial MIC assays of encapsulated AMP with rifampicin antibiotics against M. smegmatis showed synergism between AMP-PCL-NPs and antibiotics with fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) around âˆ¼ 0.09. The combinations of AMP NPs also demonstrated synergy against the mycobacteria. Our findings suggest that enhanced efficacy is due to protection offered by AMPs encapsulation resulting in augmentation of membrane permeation by AMPs and enhanced accumulation of antibiotics within mycobacteria resulting in synergy. The study findings might assist in the preclinical development of AMP for the fight against TB.

Aptamer-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in animals: Current potential and challenges.

Fast and precise diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious animal diseases and their targeted treatments are of utmost importance for their clinical management. The existing biochemical, serological and molecular methods of disease diagnosis need improvement in their specificity, sensitivity and cost and, are generally not amenable for being used as points-of-care (POC) device. Further, with dramatic changes in environment and farm management practices, one should also arm ourselves and prepare for emerging and re-emerging animal diseases such as cancer, prion diseases, COVID-19, influenza etc. Aptamer - oligonucleotide or short peptides that can specifically bind to target molecules - have increasingly become popular in developing biosensors for sensitive detection of analytes, pathogens (bacteria, virus, fungus, prions), drug residues, toxins and, cancerous cells. They have also been proven successful in the cellular delivery of drugs and targeted therapy of infectious diseases and physiological disorders. However, the in vivo application of aptamer-mediated biosensing and therapy in animals has been limited. This paper reviews the existing reports on the application of aptamer-based biosensors and targeted therapy in animals. It also dissects the various modifications to aptamers that were found to be successful in in vivo application of the aptamers in diagnostics and therapeutics. Finally, it also highlights major challenges and future directions in the application of aptamers in the field of veterinary medicine.

In-vitro meat: a promising solution for sustainability of meat sector.

The in-vitro meat is a novel concept in food biotechnology comprising field of tissue engineering and cellular agriculture. It involves production of edible biomass by in-vitro culture of stem cells harvested from the muscle of live animals by self-organizing or scaffolding methodology. It is considered as efficient, environmental friendly, better ensuring public safety and nutritional security, as well as ethical way of producing meat. Source of stem cells, media ingredients, supply of large size bioreactors, skilled manpower, sanitary requirements, production of products with similar sensory and textural attributes as of conventional meat, consumer acceptance, and proper set up of regulatory framework are challenges faced in commercialization and consumer acceptance of in-vitro meat. To realize any perceivable change in various socio-economic and environmental spheres, the technology should be commercialized and should be cost-effective as conventional meat and widely accepted among consumers. The new challenges of increasing demand of meat with the increasing population could be fulfill by the establishment of in-vitro meat production at large scale and its popularization. The adoption of in-vitro meat production at an industrial scale will lead to self-sufficiency in the developed world.

Differential expression patterns of myogenic regulatory factors in the postnatal longissimus dorsi muscle of Jeju Native Pig and Berkshire breeds along with their co-expression with Pax7

BACKGROUND: Myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) such as MyoD, Myf6 and Myf5 play a vital role in the growth and development of muscles. Jeju Native Pig (JNP) is the top ranker in Korea amongst the indigenous livestock reared for meat purpose. Few studies covering transcript abundance of the MRFs and related to their co-expression with Pax7 in JNP have been conducted. Despite having better quality pork, JNP does not have a comparative growth rate with respect to western breeds. Therefore, the present study was designed with the objective to study the relative transcript levels of MRFs in the postnatal myogenesis of longissimus dorsi muscles in JNP and Berkshire breeds. RESULTS: Relative transcript levels were analyzed by qRT-PCR and blot expression analysis through Western blotting. Immunocytochemistry was performed to analyze their expressions at cellular levels. ToppCluster aided in the analysis of gene ontology of biological processes. The quantitative transcript levels of MyoD and Pax7 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in Berkshire than in JNP. Myotube formation was observed under the co-expression of MyoD and Pax7. ToppCluster helped in the understanding of the linking of biological processes of the MRFs with the different signaling pathways. MyBPH had significantly (P < 0.05) high transcript levels during the chosen age groups in JNP than Berkshire. CONCLUSIONS: The current study can be helpful in understanding the genetic basis for myogenesis in postnatal stage. Moreover, it can act as stepping stone for the identification of marker genes related to body growth and meat quality in JNP.

Plasticized poly(vinylalcohol) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) based patches with tunable mechanical properties for cardiac tissue engineering applications.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) are the two most investigated biopolymers for various tissue engineering applications. However, their poor tensile strength renders them unsuitable for cardiac tissue engineering (CTE). In this study, we developed and evaluated PVA-PVP-based patches, plasticized with glycerol or propylene glycol (0.1%-0.4%; v:v), for their application in CTE. The cardiac patches were evaluated for their physico-chemical (weight, thickness, folding endurance, FT-IR, and swelling behavior) and mechanical properties. The optimized patches were characterized for their ability to support in vitro attachment, viability, proliferation, and beating behavior of neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (CMs). In vivo evaluation of the cardiac patches was done under the subcutaneous skin pouch and heart of rat models. Results showed that the optimized molar ratio of PVA:PVP with plasticizers (0.3%; v-v) resulted in cardiac patches, which were dry at room temperature and had desirable folding endurance of at least 300, a tensile strength of 6-23 MPa and, percentage elongation at break of more than 250%. Upon contact with phosphate-buffered saline, these PVA-PVP patches formed hydrogel patches having the tensile strength of 1.3-3.0 MPa. The patches supported the attachment, viability, and proliferation of primary neonatal mouse CMs and were nonirritant and noncorrosive to cardiac cells. In vivo transplantation of cardiac patches into a subcutaneous pouch and on the heart of rat models revealed them to be biodegradable, biocompatible, and safe for use in CTE applications.