Functional design of horse hoof keratin: the modulation of mechanical properties through hydration effects.

Bertram, JE
·
Gosline, JM

Abstract: Tensile moduli and J-integral fracture toughness values were determined for horse hoof-wall keratin at four hydration levels. The stiffness of hoof-wall was influenced by water content to a greater degree than is the stiffness of other mammalian hard keratins. Young's modulus increased from 410 MPa at 100% relative hydration (RH) to 14.6 GPa at 0% RH. Fracture toughness was maximal (22.8 kJ m-2) at an intermediate hydration (75% RH), which represents a two-fold increase over both fully hydrated and dehydrated material. Maximum fracture toughness occurred at a hydration level which is within the range that has been found in vivo in the hoof wall. These results lead to the hypothesis that the density of secondary bonding sites within the hoof-wall keratin matrix proteins provides the hoof organ with the means to modulate tissue properties, even though this epidermal tissue functions after the cells have died.

Get Full Text

Publication Date: 1987-07-01 PubMed ID: 2442283DOI: 10.1242/jeb.130.1.121Google Scholar: Lookup

The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.

Facebook X LinkedIn Email

Summary
Cite This
Publication
Affiliations
MeSH
Citations

Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research on horse hoof keratin suggests that its mechanical properties, particularly stiffness and fracture toughness, are significantly altered by the level of hydration in the hoof. The study determined that maximized fracture toughness coincided with hydration levels usually found on live horses’ hooves, which could indicate an adaptive characteristic of hoof keratin.

Research Objectives and Methodology

The primary aim of the research was to investigate how the level of hydration impacts the mechanical properties of horse hoof-wall keratin. It specifically examined Young’s modulus and J-integral fracture toughness values.
The experiment was conducted at four different hydration levels to assess the keratin’s response.
The researchers calculated Young’s modulus, a measure of stiffness of a certain material, and the J-integral fracture toughness, an indicator of a material’s resistance to fracture.

Research Findings

It was observed that the hoof-wall stiffness was greatly influenced by the water content. The effect of hydration on hoof-wall keratin stiffness is more significant than on other mammalian hard keratins.
The findings highlighted a rise in Young’s modulus from 410 MPa (Mega Pascal – a unit of pressure) at full hydration (100% relative hydration, RH) to 14.6 GPa (Giga Pascal – one billion pascals) at zero hydration.
The fracture toughness reached its highest level (22.8 kJ m-2) at an intermediate hydration level (75% RH), representing a two-fold increase compared to both completely hydrated and dehydrated keratin material.
Importantly, this maximum fracture toughness was observed at a hydration level that is usually present in a live horse’s hoof wall.

Hypothesis and Future Implications

The study concluded with a hypothesis that the density of secondary bonding sites within hoof-wall keratin matrix proteins provides the hoof with the ability to modulate tissue properties. This is especially significant considering this epidermal tissue functions even after the cells have died.
These findings have broader implications in understanding the functional design of hard keratins in animals and their adaptation to specific environmental or usage conditions.
The research could potentially guide material sciences in enhancing mechanical properties based on hydration effects, akin to hoof keratin.

Cite This Article

APA

Bertram JE, Gosline JM. (1987). Functional design of horse hoof keratin: the modulation of mechanical properties through hydration effects. J Exp Biol, 130, 121-136. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.130.1.121

Publication

The Journal of experimental biology

ISSN: 0022-0949

NlmUniqueID: 0243705

Country: England

Language: English

Volume: 130

Pages: 121-136

Researcher Affiliations

Bertram, J E

Gosline, J M

MeSH Terms

Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Body Water / metabolism
Compliance
Hoof and Claw / physiology
Horses / physiology
Keratins / physiology
Stress, Mechanical
Tensile Strength

Citations

This article has been cited 16 times.

Aoun R, Charles I, DeRouen A, Takawira C, Lopez MJ. Shoe configuration effects on third phalanx and capsule motion of unaffected and laminitic equine hooves in-situ.. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0285475.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285475pubmed: 37155654google scholar: lookup
Ingle DN, Perez E, Porter ME, Marshall CD. Feeding without teeth: the material properties of rhamphothecae from two species of durophagous sea turtles.. R Soc Open Sci 2023 Apr;10(4):221424.
doi: 10.1098/rsos.221424pubmed: 37090964google scholar: lookup
Rueda-Carrillo G, Rosiles-Martu00ednez R, Hernu00e1ndez-Garcu00eda AI, Vargas-Bello-Pu00e9rez E, Trigo-Tavera FJ. Preliminary Study on the Connection Between the Mineral Profile of Horse Hooves and Tensile Strength Based on Body Weight, Sex, Age, Sampling Location, and Riding Disciplines.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:763935.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.763935pubmed: 35320952google scholar: lookup
Lazarus BS, Chadha C, Velasco-Hogan A, Barbosa JDV, Jasiuk I, Meyers MA. Engineering with keratin: A functional material and a source of bioinspiration.. iScience 2021 Aug 20;24(8):102798.
doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102798pubmed: 34355149google scholar: lookup
Mysore THM, Patil AY, Raju GU, Banapurmath NR, Bhovi PM, Afzal A, Alamri S, Saleel CA. Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Big Sheep Horn as an Alternative Biomaterial for Structural Applications.. Materials (Basel) 2021 Jul 20;14(14).
doi: 10.3390/ma14144039pubmed: 34300958google scholar: lookup
Tian W, Liu H, Zhang Q, Su B, Xu W, Cong Q. Cushion Mechanism of Goat Hoof Bulb Tissues.. Appl Bionics Biomech 2019;2019:3021576.
doi: 10.1155/2019/3021576pubmed: 31814845google scholar: lookup
Tocci R, Sargentini C, Martini A, Andrenelli L, Pezzati A, Benvenuti D, Giorgetti A. Hoof Quality of Anglo-Arabian and Haflinger Horses.. J Vet Res 2017 Sep;61(3):367-373.
doi: 10.1515/jvetres-2017-0049pubmed: 29978097google scholar: lookup
Zhang Y, Huang W, Hayashi C, Gatesy J, McKittrick J. Microstructure and mechanical properties of different keratinous horns.. J R Soc Interface 2018 Jun;15(143).
doi: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0093pubmed: 29875283google scholar: lookup
Werth AJ, Harriss RW, Rosario MV, George JC, Sformo TL. Hydration affects the physical and mechanical properties of baleen tissue.. R Soc Open Sci 2016 Oct;3(10):160591.
doi: 10.1098/rsos.160591pubmed: 27853579google scholar: lookup
Laurent CM, Palmer C, Boardman RP, Dyke G, Cook RB. Nanomechanical properties of bird feather rachises: exploring naturally occurring fibre reinforced laminar composites.. J R Soc Interface 2014 Dec 6;11(101):20140961.
doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0961pubmed: 25339689google scholar: lookup
Clark AJ, Triblehorn JD. Mechanical properties of the cuticles of three cockroach species that differ in their wind-evoked escape behavior.. PeerJ 2014;2:e501.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.501pubmed: 25101230google scholar: lookup
Qin Z, Pugno NM, Buehler MJ. Mechanics of fragmentation of crocodile skin and other thin films.. Sci Rep 2014 May 27;4:4966.
doi: 10.1038/srep04966pubmed: 24862190google scholar: lookup
Greenberg DA, Fudge DS. Regulation of hard u03b1-keratin mechanics via control of intermediate filament hydration: matrix squeeze revisited.. Proc Biol Sci 2013 Jan 7;280(1750):20122158.
doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2158pubmed: 23135675google scholar: lookup
Pawlak E, Wang L, Johnson PJ, Nuovo G, Taye A, Belknap JK, Alfandari D, Black SJ. Distribution and processing of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-4, aggrecan, versican, and hyaluronan in equine digital laminae.. Am J Vet Res 2012 Jul;73(7):1035-46.
doi: 10.2460/ajvr.73.7.1035pubmed: 22738056google scholar: lookup
Kim TW, Bhushan B. The adhesion model considering capillarity for gecko attachment system.. J R Soc Interface 2008 Mar 6;5(20):319-27.
doi: 10.1098/rsif.2007.1078pubmed: 17594962google scholar: lookup
Clark CR, Petrie L, Waldner C, Wendell A. Characteristics of the bovine claw associated with the presence of vertical fissures (sandcracks).. Can Vet J 2004 Jul;45(7):585-93.
pubmed: 15317390