Influence of elastin on the properties of hybrid PCL/elastin scaffolds for tissue engineering

Developing scaffolds by combining different polymers in order to improve the properties of the bare polymers has become an extensively applied practice. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a synthetic polyester with outstanding properties for tissue engineering (TE), although it does have certain drawbacks that can be counteracted by combining it with other biopolymers. The biopolymer elastin is an essential functional component of the dermal extracellular matrix. Therefore, the aim of this work was to produce binary systems comprising a combination of PCL (16 wt/vol%) and different concentrations of elastin (2 and 4 wt/vol%) to evaluate how the protein affects the matrix. To this end, the morphological, physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties of the aforementioned scaffolds were further characterized, observing that PCL/elastin is a suitable mixture as it improves the wettability of PCL when combined with elastin (the contact angles were reduced from 102 to ca. 70°). In addition, mixing PCL with a small quantity of elastin (2%) improved the mechanical properties of PCL-based scaffolds (Young's modulus increased from 36 to 69 MPa and the maximum stress increased from 11 to 34 MPa).     

Influence of hydroxyapatite and BMP‐2 on bioactivity and bone tissue formation ability of electrospun PLLA nanofibers

An excellent bioactive scaffold material which could induce and promote new bone formation is essential in the bone repair field. In this study, the bioactive material hydroxyapatite (HA) and the bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) were added to poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA) using the electrospinning method. Scanning electron microscopy investigations performed on four different fiber scaffolds, PLLA, PLLA/HA, PLLA/BMP‐2 and PLLA/HA/BMP‐2, revealed that the fibers of all scaffolds are closely interwoven, and the presence of large interconnected voids between the fibers, resulting in a three‐dimensional porous network structure that was similar to the structure of the extracellular matrix of healthy bones. In the MG63 cell culture growth experiments, the composite scaffold material PLLA/HA/BMP‐2 showed a higher bioactivity than the other three scaffold materials. The four scaffold materials were implanted in rabbits’ tibia for 30 and 90 days. The results of the animal experiments indicate that the capability of the PLLA/HA/BMP‐2 composite to induce and promote bone tissue formation was better compared with PLLA/HA or PLLA/BMP‐2, suggesting that PLLA combined with HA/BMP‐2 is a promising material for bone tissue repair. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42249.     

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.     

Fabrication and characterization of electrospun psyllium husk-based nanofibers for tissue regeneration

The present study reports for first time the blending of psyllium husk (PH) powder/gelatin (G) in the polymer-rich composition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to make an electrospinnable solution. The composite was prepared in 3 different ratios viz., 100% (wt/wt) (PVA + PH), 75% + 25% (PVA + 75PH + 25G) (wt/wt) and 50% + 50% (PVA + 50PH + 50G) (wt/wt) in 6% PVA solution. Optimum electrospinning parameters were evaluated for all the prepared blends. The fabricated nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry, porosity percentage, and fiber orientation using ImageJ software. A qualitative in vitro degradation study at room temperature is supported by SEM images. The cellular interactions were characterized by MTT assay of NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells for 2 and 4 days with an optimum cell growth of >50% by fourth day of culture and long-term cultivation of L929-RFP cells was observed for 10 days. The nanofibers were formed in the range of 49–600 nm. PVA + 75PH + 25G when cultured with L929-RFP cells exhibited highest fluorescence intensity and thus supported cellular proliferation significantly. Based on the results obtained from various analyses, we anticipate that fabricated psyllium-based nanofiber can be used as a promising candidate for wound healing and other biomedical applications.     

Biocompatible graphene-embedded PCL/PGS-based nanofibrous scaffolds: A potential application for cardiac tissue regeneration

Research in the field of tissue engineering, especially heart tissue engineering, is growing rapidly. Herein, the morphological, chemical, mechanical and biological properties of poly (caprolactone) (PCL)/poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) and PCL/PGS/graphene nanofibrous scaffolds are investigated. Initially, PGS pre-polymer is synthesized and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. Then, in order to use the benefits of PGS, this polymer is mixed with PCL. Blending PGS with PCL resulted in the enhancement of ultimate elongation and reduction in the elastic modulus due to the intrinsic properties of PGS. The hydrophobicity of PCL nanofibers is reduced by adding PGS as hydrophilic polymer (105 ± 3° vs. 44 ± 2°). Also, the addition of graphene to the blend nanofibers is balanced the hydrophilicity. Degradation rate of pure PCL nanofibers is very slow but it is increased in the presence of PGS. All nanofibrous scaffolds are biocompatible and non-toxic. The highest cell adhesion (covered area = 0.916 ± 0.032) and biocompatibility (98.79 ± 1%) are related to PCL/PGS loaded with 1% wt of graphene (PCL/PGS/graphene ₁). Thus, this sample can be a good candidate for further examinations of cardiac tissue engineering.     

Biocompatible scaffolds composed of chemically crosslinked chitosan and gelatin for tissue engineering

Chitosan‐based scaffolds are widely studied in tissue regeneration because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Scaffolds are obtained by different techniques and can be modified with other polymers allowing controlling their properties. This article discusses the assembling of three‐dimensional chitosan porous scaffolds blended with gelatin. Gelatin was used to enhance cells attachment due to the presence of cell adhesion motifs, while improving mechanical strength. 2,5‐dimethoxy‐2,5‐dihydrofurane (DHF) was used as the crosslinking agent, because it allowed to control the reaction kinetics through temperature, time and DHF concentration. The results indicate that scaffolds morphology, pore sizes and distribution, compressive moduli and biodegradation in vitro with lysozyme, can be customized with variations of gelatin content and crosslinking degree. Scaffolds were neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic for human keratinocytes, exhibiting cell–substrate interactions. Our findings demonstrated that chitosan–gelatin scaffolds crosslinked with DHF, as a new crosslinking agent, are suitable in tissue engineering applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43814.     

Needle‐punched nonwoven matrix from regenerated collagen fiber for cartilage tissue engineering

In this study, a new application of needle‐punched three‐dimensional (3D) fiber matrix from regenerated collagen fiber in articular cartilage tissue engineering (TE) was developed. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the arrangement of fibers well mimicked the transitional part of the zonal articular cartilage. The 3D matrices exhibited a high porosity (93.5 ± 2.3%) and a large pore size range from about 20 μm in the inner part to 200–300 μm on the surface. The interconnected pore structure and hydrophilicity of the fibers led to the rapid and desired water uptake capacity of the matrices. Although the tensile and compressive properties of the scaffold were slightly lower than those of the natural articular cartilage, the anisotropic and nonlinear tension–compression were highly similar. In vitro human bone marrow stromal cells proliferation and cell morphology revealed the well cytocompatibility of the matrix, indicating its great potential in articular cartilage TE. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40404.     

Core–shell PVA/gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds using co‐solvent,aqueous electrospinning: Toward a green approach

Electrospinning (ES) of gelatin often requires cytotoxic organic solvents or acidic environments, which deteriorate cell recognition sites. In this study, aqueous, non‐toxic, co‐solvent ES was performed to obtain core–shell poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/gelatin nanofiber scaffolds. Effects of the core/shell feed rate ratio (FRR) were investigated on a morphological and mechanical basis. PVA:gelatin ratio of 1:4 was the limiting ratio for specific voltage and electrode distance parameters to obtain uniform fibers. Core–shell bead‐free structures were obtained at 8% PVA and gelatin aqueous solutions. A mean diameter of 280 nm was obtained for 1:1 FRR at 15 kV and 15 cm of electrode distance. Crosslinking resulted in slight improvement in tensile strengths and severe decrease in ductility. Fourier transform infrared spectra revealed retention and improvement of stable secondary structures of gelatin after ES. The scaffolds almost degraded more than 60% in 14 days. Based on the results, present scaffolds hold great promise as suitable candidates for biomedical applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46582.     

Electrospun scaffolds for wound healing applications from poly(4-hydroxybutyrate): A biobased and biodegradable linear polymer with high elastomeric properties

Electrospun scaffolds of the biodegradable and biocompatible poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) polyester have been prepared using horizontal and vertical set-up configurations of electrospinning. Specifically, it has been evaluated the influence of solvent, polymer concentration, and processing parameters, such as applied voltage, flow rate, and needle tip-collector distance. Scaffolds obtained under the most favorable conditions were characterized in terms of crystallinity, lamellar supramolecular order, thermal (including calorimetric and thermogravimetric data), mechanical, and surface properties. Results pointed out significant differences with respect to commercial sutures (based in P4HB, e.g., MonoMax®) and demonstrated that electrospun scaffolds were constituted by crystalline microfibers with a tangled distribution that leads to high modulus Young modulus (4 MPa), maximum strength (28 MPa), and elongation (360%). Furthermore, new scaffolds had thermal stability and a rough surface that led to a hydrophobic character (105°). Scaffolds could also be successfully loaded during the electrospinning process with a peptide analog to the fibroblast growth factor (e.g., CYRSRKYSSWYVALKRC), giving rise to fully biocompatible samples with a clear acceleration in wound healing.     

Electrospun poly(hydroxybutyrate)/chitosan blend fibrous scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

In this study, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) was blended with chitosan (CTS), and electrospun in order to produce more hydrophilic fibrous scaffolds with higher mass loss rates for cartilage tissue engineering application. First, the effects of diverse factors on the average and distribution of fiber's diameter of PHB scaffolds were systematically evaluated by experimental design. Then, PHB 9 wt % solutions were blended with various ratios of CTS (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) using trifluoroacetic acid as a co‐solvent, and electrospun. The addition of CTS could decrease both water droplet contact angle from ～74° to ～67° and tensile strength from, ～87 MPa to ～31 MPa. According to the results, the scaffolds containing 15% and 20% CTS were selected as optimized scaffolds for further investigations. Mass loss percentage of these scaffolds was directly proportional to the amount of CTS. Chondrocytes attached well to the surfaces of these scaffolds. The findings suggested that PHB/CTS blend fibrous scaffolds have tremendous potentials for further investigations for the intended application. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44171.     

Electrospinning of polycaprolactone nanofibers using H2O as benign additive in polycaprolactone/glacial acetic acid solution

Considerable efforts have been devoted to the production of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous structures by electrospinning. However, some toxic solvents have often been used to achieve bead‐free nanofibers. At present, a benign solvent such as glacial acetic acid (GAC) only leads to beaded or microscale fibers. Therefore a study is done to extend the electrospinnability of the PCL/GAC system by the addition of H₂O. The solution properties of conductivity, viscosity, and surface tension were altered by the addition of H₂O, especially increasing the conductivity and viscosity. These properties essential to electrospinning could remain stable for 6 h when the H₂O content was less than or equal to 9 vol %. Then ultrafine PCL fibers with diameters from 188 to 200 nm, 10 times smaller than when dissolved in pure GAC, were electrospun from solutions of PCL with concentrations in the range of 17 to 20 wt % with H₂O content at 9 vol %. Finally, the crystallinity and crystallite size of the resulting fibers were smaller than that of raw PCL pellets. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45578.     

Composite chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) electrospun nanofibrous mats as novel wound dressing matrixes for the controlled release of drugs

The aim of this study was to develop novel biomedical electrospun nanofiber mats for controlled drug release, in particular to release a drug directly to an injury site to accelerate wound healing. Here, nanofibers of chitosan (CS), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and a 90 : 10 composite blend, loaded with a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, such as ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CipHCl) or moxifloxacin hydrochloride (Moxi), were successfully prepared by an electrospinning technique. The morphology of the electrospun nanofibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The functional groups of the electrospun nanofibers before and after crosslinking were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. X‐ray diffraction results indicated an amorphous distribution of the drug inside the nanofiber blend. In vitro drug‐release evaluations showed that the crosslinking could control the rate and period of drug release in wound‐healing applications. The inhibition of bacterial growth for both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were achieved on the CipHCl‐ and Moxi‐loaded nanofibers. In addition, both types of CS/PEO and drug‐containing CS/PEO nanofibers showed excellent cytocompatibility in the cytotoxicity assays. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42060.     

Immobilization of silk fibroin on the surface of PCL nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

Poly(?‐caprolactone) (PCL) is explored in tissue engineering (TE) applications due to its biocompatibility, processability, and appropriate mechanical properties. However, its hydrophobic nature and lack of functional groups in its structure are major drawbacks of PCL‐based scaffolds limiting appropriate cell adhesion and proliferation. In this study, silk fibroin (SF) was immobilized on the surface of electrospun PCL nanofibers via covalent bonds in order to improve their hydrophilicity. To this end, the surface of PCL nanofibers was activated by ultraviolet (UV)–ozone irradiation followed by carboxylic functional groups immobilization on their surface by their immersion in acrylic acid under UV radiation and final immersion in SF solution. Furthermore, morphological, mechanical, contact angle, and Attenuated total reflection‐ Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) were measured to assess the properties of the surface‐modified PCL nanofibers grafted with SF. ATR‐FTIR results confirmed the presence of SF on the surface of PCL nanofibers. Moreover, contact angle measurements of the PCL nanofibers grafted with SF showed the contact angle of zero indicating high hydrophilicity of modified nanofibers. In vitro cell culture studies using NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts confirmed enhanced cytocompatibility, cell adhesion, and proliferation of the SF‐treated PCL nanofibers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46684.     

Silver‐nanoparticle‐Incorporated composite nanofibers for potential wound‐dressing applications

The aim of this study was to develop stable and porous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)–polycaprolactone blended and silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) incorporated composite nanofiber scaffolds as antibacterial wound dressings. A facile approach for the in situ synthesis of Ag NPs was explored. In this synthesis method, N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) was used as a solvent; it also acted as reducing agent for Ag NP formation. The stabilization of Ag NPs in the fibers was accomplished by PEO, which in turn acted as a reducing agent along with DMF. The successful synthesis of crystalline Ag NPs was confirmed by various characterization techniques. Thermogravimetric analysis, wettability, and surface roughness analysis of the nanofibers were done to examine the suitability of the scaffold for wound dressing. The as‐synthesized composite nanofibers possessed good roughness, wettability, and antibacterial potential against recombinant green fluorescent proteins expressing antibiotic‐resistant Escherichia coli. Thus, the nanofiber scaffold fabricated by this approach could serve as an ideal wound dressing. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42473.     

Biphasic,tough composite core/shell PCL/PVA-GEL nanofibers for biomedical application

Emulsion electrospinning using natural and synthetic polymers, including two dissimilar materials is a promising technique for nanofibers fabrication in a core/shell configuration for tissue engineering, controlled or sustained drug delivery and dressing applications. In this study, we designed and fabricated core/shell nanofibers based on polycaprolactone (PCL) as core material and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-gelatin (GEL) blend as shell materials (PCL/PVA-GEL) to achieve high mechanical properties, good cell growth, and proliferation via emulsion electrospinning. The effect of water to acetic acid ratio in the solvent system (8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5) and also type and concentration (3, 5, 7 w/v %) of surfactant on emulsion stability and nanofibers morphology were investigated. The emulsion containing 2% Tween80 and 1% Span60 as surfactants were selected by considering the stability of emulsion and uniform fiber morphology. In the tensile strength and elongation at break, 53 and 8% increase in the crosslinked wet state of the PCL/PVA-GEL nanofibers compared with PVA-GEL nanofibers were observed respectively. The cell culture results indicated that the PCL/PVA-GEL nanofibers surface has presented suitable interaction with fibroblast cells and cells attached and proliferated well on the fabricated substrate within 24 and 48 hours and also would be a good candidate for biomedical applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48713.     

Nanoporous hollow fibers as a phantom material for the validation of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging noninvasive imaging modality. In this study, highly aligned, uniform, nanoporous, hollow polycaprolactone fibers were successfully synthesized in a single step to mimic the axon bundle structure in human white matter. Their porous nature, morphology, and physicochemical properties were carefully studied with respect to their suitability as a phantom material for brain imaging. The aligned fibrous bundles were then arranged into specific angles (30 and 90°), scanned, and evaluated with high-resolution MRI fiber tractography. Diffusion tensor imaging and the tractography of fibers of five different structures at three temperatures were acquired and compared. Furthermore, an integrated brain phantom created from a combination of agar gel and aligned fibrous bundles was also fabricated and analyzed. The results demonstrate the excellent ability of the fibers to mimic the axonal bundles of brain white matter. The fibrous bundles were well mixed in the common agar phantom while retaining their fibrous configuration; this demonstrated their potential as brain white matter phantoms. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47617.     

Modified poly(caprolactone trifumarate) with embedded gelatin microparticles as a functional scaffold for bone tissue engineering

Bone tissue engineering offers high hopes in reconstructing bone defects that result from trauma, infection, tumors, and other conditions. However, there remains a need for novel scaffold materials that can effectively stimulate ossification with appropriate functional properties. Therefore, a novel injectable, biodegradable, and biocompatible scaffold made by incorporating modified poly(caprolactone trifumarate) (PCLTF) with embedded gelatin microparticles (GMPs) as porogen is developed. Specifically, in vitro and in vivo tests were carried out. For the latter, to determine the osteogenic ability of PCLTF‐GMPs scaffolds, and to characterize bone‐formation, these scaffolds were implanted into critical‐sized defects of New Zealand white rabbit craniums. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) demonstrated cells of varying shapes attached to the scaffold surface in vitro. The PCLTF‐GMPs demonstrated improved biocompatibility in vivo. Polyfluorochrome tracers detected bone growth occurring in the PCLTF‐GMPs filled defects. By incorporating PCLTF with GMPs, we have fabricated a promising self‐crosslinkable biocompatible and osteoconducive scaffold for bone tissue engineering. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43711.     

Hemostatic activities of nano/microporous bilayer dressings in a femoral artery bleeding rat model

Recently, an effective hemostatic dressing requirement has become a major problem in both the military and civilian world. Available hemostatic agents are too expensive, ineffective, unsafe, or complicated to use. Here, we evaluated the hemostatic efficacy of a nano/micro bilayer hemostatic dressing including a porous sublayer from chitosan (CTS) and bacterial cellulose (BC) and a nanofibrillar upper layer from silk fibroin (SF). In addition, several active agents rolled in coagulation cascade [vitamin K (Vit K), protamine sulfate (PS), kaolin (Kao), etc.] were doped to the sublayer of bilayer hemostatic agent and their activities were compared via in vivo and in vitro tests. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity test results demonstrated that BC/CTS, SF‐coated BC/CTS, and Vit K K/BC/CTS, SF/phosphatidylcholine (PC)‐coated BC/CTS showed higher LDH activity compared to standard gauze (p < 0.005). In a femoral artery bleeding rat model, SF‐coated PS/BC/CTS significantly reduced bleeding time (80 ± 0.3 s) compared to standard gauze and kaolin‐doped group (p < 0.005). Blood loss and mortality rate with 2.3 g and 37.5% SF‐coated BC/CTS and SF‐coated PS/BC/CTS showed increased efficacy in achieving hemostasis compared to standard gauze. All the prepared hemostatic dressings except for kaolin‐doped BC/CTS and standard gauze induced no inflammatory reaction in the tissue. All these data suggest that active agent‐doped BC/CTS/SF‐based bilayer hemostatic dressings have a great influence on the resulting hemostatic action. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43657.     

Rapid polymer fiber airbrushing: Impact of a device design on the fiber fabrication and matrix quality

Polymer fiber matrixes can be used in a variety of applications, including electronics, tissue engineering, or coatings. Polymer airbrushing (air‐blast spinning) has the potential to overcome some of the limitations of electrospinning and has the advantage of depositing nanofibers directly on various materials. The airbrushing technique has yet to be better evaluated and optimized to achieve a higher fiber reproducibility and bulk material quality. In this study, a gravity‐fed brush (commercial airbrush) and syringe‐pump‐operated brush [custom‐built airbrush (CBA)] were compared to determine the effect of the coaxial brush design on the efficacy of fiber fabrication. At comparable fiber deposition rates, gas pressures, and polymer concentrations, the CBA produced smaller and more uniform fibers with a lower average size of polymer beads. The obtained data suggest that capillary pinching was the dominant mechanism responsible for fiber formation when we used the CBA. The estimated pinching energy was lower for the CBA at the compared polymer concentrations and at a high gas pressure. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42813.     

Multifunctional ternary drug‐loaded electrospun scaffolds

Multifunctional electrospun scaffolds were prepared from two polylactide (PLA) grades having slightly different d ‐lactide content (4.2 wt % and 2.0 wt %). Triclosan (TCS), ketoprofen (KTP), and p‐coumaric acid (CUM) were selected as bactericide, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant agents, respectively. Single, binary, and ternary drug‐loaded microfibers having a unimodal diameter distribution could be prepared using a common chloroform:acetone:dimethylsulfoxide mixture and similar operational parameters (i.e., voltage, flow rate, and tip–collector distance). FTIR spectra were sensitive to the low amount of drugs loaded and even showed slight differences in PLA conformation. DSC heating scans clearly demonstrated the ability of electrospinning to induce molecular orientation of PLA and also the nucleation effect of incorporated drugs to induce crystallization. Thus, crystallinity of binary drug‐loaded scaffolds was significantly higher than observed for unloaded samples. Release behavior of the three drugs from loaded scaffolds and PLA matrices in PBS:ethanol medium was evaluated. A rapid release was always detected, together with partial drug retention which was higher when the more stereoregular PLA matrix was employed. A strong bactericidal effect was found when scaffolds were loaded with 3 wt/vol % of TCS, but incorporation of a small percentage of KTP (i.e., 1 wt/vol %) had a bacteriostatic effect even in the absence of TCS. The inherent cytotoxicity of TCS could be well neutralized by enhancing cell viability by incorporation of CUM and/or KTP. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42751.