Gelatin Blends Enhance Performance of Electrospun Polymeric Scaffolds in Comparison to Coating Protocols

Abstract

The electrospinning of hybrid polymers is a versatile fabrication technique which takes advantage of the biological properties of natural polymers and the mechanical properties of synthetic polymers. However, the literature is scarce when it comes to comparisons of blends regarding coatings and the improvements offered thereby in terms of cellular performance. To address this, in the present study, nanofibrous electrospun scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL), their coating and their blend with gelatin were compared. The morphology of nanofibrous scaffolds was analyzed under field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), indicating the influence of the presence of gelatin. The scaffolds were mechanically tested with tensile tests; PCL and PCL gelatin coated scaffolds showed higher elastic moduli than PCL/gelatin meshes. Viability of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) was evaluated by MTT assay, and cell proliferation on the scaffold was confirmed by fluorescence staining. The positive results of the MTT assay and cell growth indicated that the scaffolds of PCL/gelatin excelled in comparison to other scaffolds, and may serve as good candidates for tissue engineering applications.

Biofabrication of biomimetic undulating microtopography at the dermal-epidermal junction and its effects on the growth and differentiation of epidermal cells

“…The main characteristic peaks of PCL were 2943.805 cm −1 (asymmetric CH 2 stretching), 2865.702 cm −1 (symmetric CH 2 stretching), 1724.532 cm −1 (carbonyl stretching), 1293.519 cm −1 (C-O and C-C stretching), and 1169.615 cm −1 (symmetric C-O-C stretching), respectively. Those characteristic bands were consistent with previous studies [38,39]. In the PCL-PDA spectrum, a new characteristic absorption peak appeared: the absorption peak at 1556.755 cm −1 (figure 3(A), the band and local magnification images where the rectangular box was located), which was attributed to the vibration of the N-H. That characteristic peak proved that the polydopamine coating was successfully obtained during the preparation process [40][41][42].…”

Electrospun Biomimetic Nanofibrous Scaffolds: A Promising Prospect for Bone Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

“…Moreover, the findings imply that the PCL/Gel blend improves the polymeric scaffold’s cellular and mechanical properties. Overall, these results show that blended PCL/Gel scaffolds are better than their PCL counterparts [ 159 ]. For example, Ren et al [ 160 ] fabricated a PCL/Gel hybrid nanofibrous scaffold that exhibited good tensile strength and biocompatibility in MC3T3-E1 cells and enhanced the osteogenic capability.…”

High‐throughput fabrication, structural characterization, and cellular interaction of compositionally diverse fish gelatin/polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous materials

“…For the fish gelatin component of as‐spun FGEL/PCL nanofibers, the most pronounced peaks at 1642 cm −1 (Amide‐I) and 1533 cm −1 (Amide‐II) slightly broaden toward the higher frequencies when compared to pristine FGEL nanofibers. Those frequency changes can indicate some degree of interaction between FGEL and PCL, 28 such as a possible hydrogen bond formation between ester group of PCL and amine group of FGEL, 29 or some level of the fibers' structural modification.…”