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Assessing the Biocompatibility of Tannic Acid-Based Biomaterials: Addressing Challenges in Standard Cytotoxic Assays
Silvia Cometta1,2,3, Dietmar Werner Hutmacher1,2,3,4
1Faculty of Engineering, School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2025
Summary
Tannic acid (TA) enhances biomaterials but can bias in vitro biocompatibility tests. This study evaluates common cell viability assays, revealing limitations and offering recommendations for accurate assessment of TA-modified materials.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Tannic acid (TA) is increasingly used in biomaterials for its beneficial properties.
- TA's interaction with biological systems can interfere with standard in vitro biocompatibility assays.
- Accurate assessment of TA-modified biomaterials is crucial for their clinical translation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of tannic acid on the performance of common cell viability assays.
- To identify limitations of PicoGreen, PrestoBlue, and Live/Dead assays when used with TA-coated biomaterials.
- To provide recommendations for reliable biocompatibility evaluation of TA-modified substances.
Main Methods:
- Evaluation of PicoGreen, PrestoBlue, and Live/Dead (FDA/PI) assays.
- Application of assays to tannic acid-coated scaffolds and cell sheets.
- Comparative analysis of experimental results with existing literature.
Main Results:
- Tannic acid exhibits interference with DNA-based and metabolic assays.
- Fluorescence-based assays show variable susceptibility to tannic acid-induced artifacts.
- Specific assay limitations were identified for TA-modified biomaterial contexts.
Conclusions:
- Standard cell viability assays require careful validation when applied to tannic acid-based biomaterials.
- Understanding assay interference is key to avoiding misinterpretation of biocompatibility data.
- Recommendations are provided to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of TA-biomaterial assessments.
