Degradation and Mechanical Behavior of Fish Gelatin/Polycaprolactone AC Electrospun Nanofibrous Meshes

With the increasing interest in biopolymer nanofibers for diverse applications, the characterization of these materials in the physiological environment has become of equal interest and importance. This study performs first-time simulated body fluid (SBF) degradation and tensile mechanical analyses of blended fish gelatin (FGEL) and polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous meshes prepared by a high-throughput free-surface alternating field electrospinning. The thermally crosslinked FGEL/PCL nanofibrous materials with 84–96% porosity and up to 60 wt% PCL fraction demonstrate mass retention up to 88.4% after 14 days in SBF. The trends in the PCL crystallinity and FGEL secondary structure modification during the SBF degradation are analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Tensile tests of such porous, 0.1–2.2 mm thick FGEL/PCL nanofibrous meshes in SBF reveal the ultimate tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break within the ranges of 60–105 kPa, 0.3–1.6 MPa, and 20–70%, respectively, depending on the FGEL/PCL mass ratio. The results demonstrate that FGEL/PCL nanofibrous materials prepared from poorly miscible FGEL and PCL can be suitable for selected biomedical applications such as scaffolds for skin, cranial cruciate ligament, articular cartilage, or vascular tissue repair.     

Fabrication of a Nanofibrous Scaffold for the In Vitro Culture of Cardiac Progenitor Cells for Myocardial Regeneration

In this study, random Poly (?-caprolactone) (PCL):Poly glycolic acid (PGA) nanofibrous scaffold with various PCL:PGA compositions were fabricated by electrospinning method. The nanofibrous scaffolds were characterized by SEM, contact angle measurement, ATR-FTIR, and tensile measurements. The results showed that with the increase of the concentration of PGA in spinning blend solution, the average diameter of nanofibers, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties of the nanofibrous scaffolds increased. An in vitro degradation study of PCL:PGA nanofibers were conducted in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.2. The experiments confirm that increasing of PGA provides faster degradation rate in blended nanofibers. To assay the biocompatibility and cell behavior on the nanofibrous scaffolds, cell attachment and spreading of cardiac progenitor cells seeded on the scaffolds were studied. The results indicate that among electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds, the most appropriate candidate for myocardial tissue engineering scaffolds is PCL:PGA (65:35).     

纳米羟基磷灰石增强聚己内酯/明胶纤维膜的制备及其性能

引导组织再生膜在引导组织再生术中发挥着关键作用,高性能的引导组织再生膜能更好地促进组织再生修复。本文以纳米羟基磷灰石（n-HA）、聚己内酯（PCL）、明胶（Gel）为原料,通过静电纺丝法制备了不同含量n-HA增强的PCL/Gel/n-HA纤维膜,并对其形貌、组成、力学性能及降解性能进行了研究。SEM结果表明,纤维膜中的纤维形态良好,纤维直径大致分布于200～400nm之间,交联后纤维直径明显增加;TEM结果表明,n-HA较均匀分散在纤维中,随着n-HA含量的增加,n-HA在纤维膜表面发生聚集。力学测试结果表明,随着n-HA含量的增加显著提高了纤维膜的拉伸强度和断裂伸长率,当n-HA含量约为15%时,其拉伸强度和伸长率分别达到9.18MPa和180%。n-HA加入后,纤维膜的降解速率明显降低,n-HA含量约为15%的复合纤维膜体外降解12周以后约降解25%。本文制备的PCL/Gel/n-HA纤维膜的力学性能和降解速率能满足临床对引导组织再生膜的性能要求。     

Novel bilayer electrospun poly(caprolactone)/ silk fibroin/ strontium carbonate fibrous nanocomposite membrane for guided bone regeneration

In this study, a thin layer with a thickness of about 120 μm of poly(caprolactone) (PCL) was fabricated by electrospinning method. Then, a fibrous nanocomposite composed of PCL/silk fibroin/strontium carbonate (PCL/SF/SrCO₃) was electrospun on the prepared layer. Then, they were characterized. The mechanical properties, water uptake, degradation rate, wettability, porosity, and bioactivity of the electrospun membrane were scrutinized in vitro. Cytotoxicity of the samples was assessed by using osteoblast-like cells (SAOS-2) and L929 fibroblasts. Moreover, the cell adhesion, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and calcium deposition through alizarin red staining were conducted. Results revealed that the bilayer structure doubled the optimum mechanical properties and the addition of SrCO₃ up to 15%–20% increased ALP activity, calcium deposition, and bioactivity. According to the results, the nanofibrous bilayer membrane containing 20 wt% SrCO₃, 20 wt% SF, and 60 wt% PCL was chosen as the optimum sample. Therefore, this membrane could be applied in guided bone regeneration (GBR).     

Nano/micro-structured poly(ϵ-caprolactone)/gelatin nanofibers with biomimetically-grown hydroxyapatite spherules: High protein adsorption,controlled protein delivery and sustained bioactive ions release designed as a multifunctional bone regenerative membrane

Bioactive and biodegradable fibrous membranes are highly attractive for periodontal bone regeneration. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach for fabrication of a novel nano/micro-structured fibrous membrane made of biodegradable poly(?-caprolactone)/gelatin (PCL/GEL) nanofibers and biomemtically-grown hydroxyapatite spherules (HAs). The proposed approach includes electrospinning fabrication of PCL/GEL nanofibers containing nanobioglass (NBG) agglomerates and their biomimetic transformation into HAs. The NBG agglomerates (~1.9 μm in diameter) enabled the growth of biomimetic HAs (~4 μm in diameter) around the PCL/GEL nanofibers and generated a unique nano/micro-structure. Interestingly, the biomimetically-grown HAs imparted the PCL/GEL-HAs nanofibrous membrane with several remarkable properties including nano/micro-topography, bone-mimetic composition (Ca/P = 1.60), large specific surface area (~31 m²/g), high protein adsorption capacity (~157 μg protein/mg membrane) and controlled protein delivery with zero-order release kinetics; along with sustained release of therapeutic ions (Ca²⁺ ~ 37 ppm, PO₄^3? ~ 24 ppm, and SiO₄^4? ~ 61 ppm). Furthermore, the PCL/GEL-HAs membrane exhibited enhanced wettability, good biodegradability and adequate mechanical properties. Collectively, the PCL/GEL-HAs demonstrated unique properties and it can be considered as a novel multifunctional bioactive/biodegradable membrane for periodontal bone regeneration.     

Herbally derived polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration

Hydroxyapatite (HA), the bone mineral and Cissus quadrangularis (CQ), a medicinal plant with osteogenic activity, are attaining increasing interest as a potential therapeutic agent for enhanced bone tissue regeneration. In the present study a synergistic effect of these two agents were analyzed by fabricating PCL‐CQ‐HA nanofibrous scaffolds by electrospinning and compared with PCL‐CQ and PCL (control) nanofibrous scaffolds. Morphology, composition, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties of the electrospun PCL, PCL‐CQ, PCL‐CQ‐HA nanofibrous scaffolds were examined by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Contact angle and Tensile tests, respectively. The response of human foetal osteoblast cells on these scaffolds were evaluated using MTS assay, alkaline phosphatase activity, alizarin red staining, and osteocalcin expression for bone tissue regeneration. While the observed cellular response to both groups of scaffolds was better than for the control PCL scaffold, the PCL‐CQ‐HA nanofibrous scaffolds provided the most favorable substrate for cell proliferation and mineralization. The results showed that PCL‐CQ‐HA nanofibrous scaffolds had appropriate surface roughness for the osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and mineralization comparing with other scaffolds. The observed investigation of physicochemical and biological properties suggests that the CQ‐HA loaded PCL nanofibrous scaffolds serve as a potential biocomposite material for bone tissue engineering. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39835.     

Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation to Cardiomyocytes on Nanostructured Scaffolds for Myocardial Tissue Regeneration

With recent advances in developmental and stem cell biology, the application of stem cells in tissue engineering has received great attention and designing of suitable scaffolds to support cell growth, differentiation, and functional tissue organization are advancing toward effective tissue regeneration. Regeneration of the infarct myocardium after myocardial infarction (MI), which is caused by the abrupt occlusion of one or more of the coronary arteries in the heart is one of the most demanding aspects in tissue engineering. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can differentiate into many cell types and has been considered as a cell source for cardiac regeneration. In this regard, nanofibrous scaffolds received great attention in tissue engineering field due to their similarity in morphology to native extracellular matrix (ECM) and various scaffolds have been studied as cardiac patches over the previous years. In this study poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning and embroyonic bodies (EBs) were formed using ESCs seeded on the nanofibrous scaffolds. SEM images revealed cell outgrowth from EBs and the spreading of cells over the nanofibrous scaffolds were observed. Immunocytochemistry results showed the cellular expression of cardiac proteins, namely α-actinin and connexin 43 on the nanofibrous scaffolds indicating the differentiation of EBs to cardiomyocytes. Results of our study showed that PCL/gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds can act as a promising substrate for differentiation of EBs to cardiomyocytes and could be applied for cardiac tissue engineering.     

Investigating the effect of PGA on physical and mechanical properties of electrospun PCL/PGA blend nanofibers

In the field of tissue engineering there is always a need for new engineered polymeric biomaterials which have ideal properties and functional customization. Unfortunately the demands for many biomedical applications need a set of properties that no polymers can fulfill. One method to satisfy these demands and providing desirable new biomaterials is by mixing two or more polymers. In this work, random nanofibrous blends of poly (ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and polyglycolic acid (PGA) with various PCL/PGA compositions (100/0, 80/20, 65/35, 50/50, and 0/100) were fabricated by electrospinning method and characterized for soft‐tissue engineering applications. Physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of PCL/PGA blend nanofibers were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosimetry, contact angle measurement, water uptake, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and tensile measurements. Morphological characterization showed that the addition of PGA to PCL results in an increase in the average diameter of the nanofibers. According to these results, when the amount of PGA in the blend solution increased, the hydrophilicity and water uptake of the nanofibrous scaffolds increased concurrently, approaching those of PGA nanofibers. Differential scanning calorimetric studies showed that the PCL and PGA were miscible in the nanofibrous structure and the mechanical characterization under dry conditions showed that increasing PGA content results in a tremendous increase in the mechanical properties. In conclusion, the random nanofibrous PCL/PGA scaffold used in this study constitutes a promising material for soft‐tissue engineering. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Fabrication of polycaprolactone nanofibrous membrane-embedded microfluidic device for water filtration

In this study, we fabricated a plastic microfluidic device embedded with polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous membrane for use as a filter for the removal of bacteria from contaminated water. A microfluidic device was fabricated by sandwiching an electrospun PCL nanofibrous membrane between two layers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates. On the top PMMA layer, a serpentine microchannel was engraved, and 165 through holes were drilled along the microchannel. The bottom PMMA layer contained four rectangular pillars in the center to prevent the collapse of the PCL membrane. To reduce the hydrophobic nature of the PCL membrane and to allow it attain antimicrobial functionality, the surfaces of the nanofibers were coated with dopamine. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements confirmed the successful fabrication of the hydrophilic PCL membrane. Contaminated water was introduced at a flow rate of 2 mL/hr, screening 10 mL of fluid within 5 hr. Ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry and colony forming unit counting confirmed the removal of bacteria from contaminated water as compared with control (up to 80%), while dopamine-coated nanofibrous membranes also exhibited antimicrobial activities. This justified the potential of utilization of the microfluidic device in water treatment systems.     

PMIA@PVDF同轴电纺纤维膜的制备及其油水分离性能研究

以聚间苯二甲酰间苯二胺(PMIA)为芯、聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)为壳,使用22-17G同轴静电纺丝针头制备不同纺丝液芯壳流速比的PMIA@PVDF同轴电纺纤维膜,对纤维膜的芯壳结构、力学性能、热性能及油水分离性能进行了表征.结果表明:在纺丝液芯壳流速比为3:5时,PMIA@PVDF同轴电纺纤维膜具有理想的表面形貌和芯壳结...     

Biodegradable membrane based on polycaprolactone/polybutylene succinate: Characterization and performance evaluation in wastewater treatment

Biodegradable membranes with different compositions of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) are prepared via immersion precipitation. The morphology, hydrophilicity, chemical structure, crystalline structure, mechanical properties, and biodegradability of the membranes are studied to assess the effect of PBS concentration in the polymer blend on membrane properties. Furthermore, the performance of the obtained membranes is assessed through the treatment of wastewater sampled from the chips and snacks factory. Also, membranes' antifouling properties are assessed by filtration of a model foulant. The investigations revealed that the addition of PBS to PCL increases the membrane hydrophilicity and biodegradability. Regarding the results, the PCL membrane blended with 30 wt% PBS has 106%, 26%, and 37% higher pure water flux, flux recovery ratio, and permeate flux, in addition to the higher rejection of pollution indices, in comparison with the PCL membrane.     

丝素-聚己内酯纳米纤维膜的制备工艺

以六氟异丙醇(HFIP)为溶剂,采用静电纺丝技术制备丝素(SF)-聚己内酯(PCL)复合纳米纤维膜。采用热场发射扫描电镜、Image-Pro Plus图像分析和力学拉伸的方法表征了纳米纤维膜的结构与力学性能。通过设计的三因素四水平正交试验对复合纳米纤维膜的多个指标进行了分析,采取归一化数据处理及平均权重分配的方式量化了复合纳米纤维膜的品质,确定了共混复合纳米纤维膜制备的最优工艺参数,并且采用最佳工艺参数制备了SF-PCL复合纳米纤维膜,分析了其力学性能。结果表明:在溶质质量分数为6%、溶质SF与PCL质量比为3∶2、纺丝流速1.2 mL/h时,SF-PCL复合纳米纤维膜具有较好的品质;双轴拉伸时的破坏机制与单轴不同,其断裂应力和应变只是单轴时的一半左右,膜的力学性能表现为各向同性。     

Effect of fiber structure on the properties of the electrospun hybrid membranes composed of poly(ε‐caprolactone) and gelatin

To elucidate the effect of fiber structure on the properties of the electrospun gelatin/PCL hybrid membranes, three types of fibers with different structures, i.e., core‐shell, blend, and mixed fibers were fabricated. The crystallinity, wettability, swelling degree, and mechanical properties of the hybrid membranes were compared. It was found that the crystalline characteristics of PCL in the core‐shell fibers were different from the fibers fabricated by the other two methods. That is, the orientation degree of the PCL chains in the core‐shell fibers was higher than that in both blend and mixed fibers. The wettability of the hybrid membrane was dependent on both the composition and structure of the electrospun fibers. Blended fibers exhibited the highest hydrophobicity because of the enrichment of PCL at the fiber surface. Contrarily, the mixed fibers possessed the highest mechanical strength of 3–5.18 MPa. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Preparation and characterization of Calendula officinalis-loaded PCL/gum arabic nanocomposite scaffolds for wound healing applications

Medicinal plants such as Calendula officinalis (C. officinalis) are commonly used for skin wounds’ treatment. On the other hand, gum arabic (GA) has a lot of potential for use in wound healing because of its unique physio-chemical properties. Wound healing activity of gum arabic (GA) and Calendula officinalis (C. officinalis) along with good mechanical properties of poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) can produce a suitable nanofibrous scaffold for skin tissue engineering as well as wound dressing application. In this study, PCL/C. officinalis/GA nanofibrous scaffolds with diameter distribution in the range of 85–290 nm were prepared via electrospinning. Characteristics of the nanofibrous scaffolds, i.e., morphology, scaffold compounds, porosity, mechanical and antibacterial properties, hydrophilicity and degradability in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) were investigated. Cell viability and proliferation of scaffolds were evaluated by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] assay. Results indicated that hydrophilicity of the PCL/C. officinalis/GA scaffolds was higher than the PCL scaffold. The tensile strength and elongation of the PCL/C. officinalis/GA scaffolds were in the range of 2.13–4.41 MPa and 26.37–74.37%, respectively, which are very suitable for skin tissue engineering. The porosity of the scaffolds was higher than 60% and was appropriate for the proliferation of fibroblast cells. The nanocomposite scaffold also showed suitable degradability and antimicrobial activity. Moreover, cell culture indicated that GA and C. officinalis promoted cell attachment and proliferation. It can be concluded that the nanofibrous calendula-loaded PCL/GA scaffolds are well suited for regenerating skin.

     

Modification of electrospun poly(L-lactic acid)/polyethylenimine nanofibrous scaffolds for biomedical application

In this study, modification of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds blending with polyethylenimine (PEI) in different blend ratios was performed. The sample with 85:15 blend ratio revealed most promising results, and was selected for further modification with gelatin. It was found that the presence of PEI could enhanced porosity, mechanical properties, surface/bulk hydrophilicity and also gelatin grafting density about five times with positive effect on cell behavior. The results indicated that the limitations of PLLA electrospun nanofibers for potential application as a functional tissue engineering scaffold (i.e., poor cell adhesion and necrosis of host tissues as a result of providing acidic environment while degradation) could be overcome through blending with PEI and grafting with gelatin.     

Studies on the Mechanical Properties of Gelatin and Its Blends with Vinyltrimethoxysilane: Effect of Gamma Radiation

Gelatin films were prepared by casting. Tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (Eb) and tensile modulus (TM) of the gelatin films were found to be 56 MPa, 6.1% and 1.14 GPa, respectively. Effect of gamma radiation (Co-60) on the mechanical properties of the gelatin films was studied. Vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) was added to the gelatin during casting varying 1–7% by weight and found to increase the TS and TM significantly. Then the films were irradiated and found further increase of TS and TM. Water uptake of the gelatin films and 5% VTMS containing gelatin films were also evaluated.     

Study on the properties of the electrospun silk fibroin/gelatin blend nanofibers for scaffolds

Silk fibroin (SF)/gelatin blend nanofibers membranes as scaffolds were fabricated successfully via electrospinning with different composition ratios in formic acid. The formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and the conformational transition of SF provided scaffolds with excellent mechanical properties. FTIR and DTA analysis showed the SF/gelatin nanofibers had more β‐sheet structures than the pure SF nanofibers. The former's breaking tenacity increased from 0.95 up to 1.60 MPa, strain at break was 7.6%, average fiber diameter was 89.2 nm, porosity was 87%, and pore diameter was 142 nm. MTT, H&E stain, and SEM results showed that the adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of human umbilic vein endothelium cells (HUVECs) and mouse fibroblasts on the SF/gelatin nanofibers scaffolds were definitely better than that on the SF nanofibers scaffolds. The scaffolds could replace the natural ECM proteins, support long‐term cell growth, form three‐dimensional networks of the nanofibrous structure, and grow in the direction of fiber orientation. Our results prove that the addition of gelatin improved the mechanical and biological properties of the pure SF nanofibers, these SF/gelatin blend nanofiber membranes are desirable for the scaffolds and may be a good candidate for blood vessel engineering scaffolds. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Fabrication and characterization of polyurethane electrospun nanofiber membranes for protective clothing applications

Electrospun nanofibrous webs are important in nanotechnology applications due to their high surface area and interconnected porosity. In this study, the effect of electrospinning duration on some physical and mechanical properties of polyurethane (PU) electrospun webs is investigated for potential applications such as protective clothing and membranes. The results show that the thickness and weight of webs and subsequently their tensile strength increase linearly with the electrospinning duration. Air permeability of nanofibrous webs decrease and hydrostatic pressure increases nonlinearly while water vapor permeability remains constant. This work shows that air permeability of PU webs follows Fick's law of diffusion. Some regression models have been proposed to describe electrospun membranes behavior. The results of this investigation indicate that this new generation of nanofibrous materials has a good potential for application as membrane in protective clothing. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Formation of functional polyethersulfone electrospun membrane for water purification by mixed solvent and oxidation processes

Most water-based filtration applications of electrospun nanofibrous membranes require the substrate to possess suitable strength, wettability and permeability, where the size, inter-fiber adhesion and hydrophilicity of electrospun nanofiber must be carefully controlled in order to meet these criteria. In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of high quality polyethersulfone (PES) nanofibrous membranes that are particularly useful for water purification. Two treatments were illustrated that can significantly improve the mechanical property and hydrophilicity of the PES membrane without compromising its porosity and water permeance. The first treatment involves the use of mixed solvents (DMF/NMP), containing a high vapor pressure component (NMP), where the mechanical properties (e.g. modulus and strength) of the membrane are improved by solvent-induced fusion of inter-fiber junction points. The second method involves the short time oxidation treatment with a strong oxidant (ammonium persulfate), where the hydrophilicity of the membrane is greatly increased.     

Cellular Response of Limbal Stem Cells on PHBV/Gelatin Nanofibrous Scaffold for Ocular Epithelial Regeneration

The aim of this study was to develop a blend of nanofibrous poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/gelatin substrate for limbal stem cell (LSC) expansion that can serve as a potential alternative substrate to replace human amniotic membrane. The human Limbus stem cell was used to evaluate the biocompatibility of substrates (nanofibrous scaffold, and human amniotic membrane) based on their phenotypic profile, viability, proliferation, and attachment ability. Biocompatibility results indicated that the all substrates were highly biocompatible, as LSCs could favorably attach and proliferate on the nanofibrous surface. Microscopic figures showed that the human LSCs were firmly anchored to the substrates and were able to retain a normal corneal stem cell phenotype. Microscopic analyses illustrated that cells infiltrated the nanofibers and successfully formed a three-dimensional corneal epithelium, which was viable for two weeks. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and real time–PCR results revealed no change in the expression profile of LSCs grown on nanofibrous substrate when compared to those grown on human amniotic membrane. In addition, electrospun nanofibrous PHBV substrate provides not only a milieu supporting LSCs expansion, but also serves as a useful alternative carrier for ocular surface tissue engineering and could be used as an alternative substrate to amniotic membrane.