Fabrication and characterization of chitosan/kefiran electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering applications

Chitosan (CS)-based nanofibrous scaffolds are very promising in tissue engineering applications. However, electrospinning of CS is not possible unless using toxic solvents such as trifluoroacetic acid or by blending with other polymers. In the present study, we investigated CS-based nanofibers' fabrication by blending it with kefiran as a natural polysaccharide. A series of solutions with various CS to kefiran ratios were prepared and underwent electrospinning. The effects of main process parameters, including applied voltage and needle tip-to-collector distance on nanofibers' diameter and morphology, were also studied. Nanofibers containing 80% CS and 20% Kefiran with an average diameter of 81 ± 17 nm were successfully electrospun. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated the presence of both polymers in blend nanofibers. The diameter of CS/kefiran nanofibers increased with enhanced applied voltage, while needle tip-to-collector distance did not significantly affect the mean diameters. Appropriate viability of l929 cells on the obtained scaffolds was demonstrated utilizing Alamar blue assay. Also, cell attachment onto the fiber surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Results indicated that CS/kefiran nanofibrous scaffolds would be promising for tissue engineering applications.