Optimized Adipogenic Differentiation and Delivery of Bovine Umbilical Cord Stem Cells for Cultivated Meat

Cultivated meat, also known as cell-based or clean meat, utilizes mesenchymal stem cells to cultivate mature cell types like adipocytes, which are pivotal for imparting the desired taste and texture. The delivery of differentiated cells, crucial in cultivated meat production, is facilitated through extensive exploration of 3D culturing techniques mimicking physiological environments. In this study, we investigated the adipogenic differentiation potential of bovine umbilical cord stem cells (BUSCs), sourced from discarded birth tissue, and assessed the feasibility of delivering differentiated cells for cultivated meat using gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) as a carrier for adipose tissue. Various adipogenic inducers, previously reported to be effective for human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), were evaluated individually or in combination for their efficacy in promoting the adipogenesis of BUSCs. Surprisingly, while the traditional adipogenic inducers, including insulin, dexamethasone, isobutylmethylxantine (IBMX), indomethacin, and rosiglitazone, showed no significant effect on the adipogenic differentiation of BUSCs, efficient differentiation was achieved in the presence of a fatty acid cocktail. Furthermore, we explored methods for the delivery of BUSCs. Differentiated cells were delivered either encapsulated in GelMA hydrogel or populated on the surface of GelMA microparticles (MPs) as the adipose component of cultivated meat. Our findings reveal that after adipogenic induction, the lipid production per cell was comparable when cultured either within hydrogel or on MPs. However, GelMA-MPs supported better cell growth compared to hydrogel encapsulation. Consequently, the overall lipid production is higher when BUSCs are delivered via GelMA-MPs rather than encapsulation. This study not only systematically evaluated the impact of common adipogenic inducers on BUSCs, but also identified GelMA-MPs as a promising carrier for delivering bovine adipocytes for cultivated meat production.