3D bioprinting of hybrid cultured meat from rabbit cells and sunflower protein

A quarter of the world’s population has no access to safe foods of high quality due to the inability of traditional agriculture to meet the growing needs. Therefore, cultivated meat produced from a large mass of animal cells in a laboratory is becoming a promising alternative to animal products. In this study, we aimed to develop a technology for obtaining a hybrid cultured meat product from rabbit cells, sodium alginate, and sunflower protein, as well as to analyze its morphological and functional characteristics. We used rabbit stem cells isolated from the greater omentum and exposed to lipogenic and myogenic differentiation, as well as rabbit skin fibroblasts. The cells were placed in a hydrogel of sodium alginate and sunflower protein and cultured for 72 h to biofabricate tissue constructs by using 3D bioprinting. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy was applied to analyze the morphological and functional characteristics of the cells in the constructs. Using 3D bioprinting, we obtained tissue constructs of 30×40×3 mm from rabbit cells, sodium alginate, and sunflower protein. According to confocal microscopy, the cells in the tissue constructs remained viable for at least 72 h. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the cells formed tight junctions and were metabolically active for at least 72 h, with fibroblasts secreting procollagen and lipoblasts secreting lipid droplets. The resulting cellular meat was obtained from a combination of fibroblasts, lipocytes, and myogenic cells, as well as two ink components. The cellular meat product was safe and ready for consumption.