Degradable and biocompatible nanofibrous scaffold incorporating a natural cell culture medium for skin tissue engineering

Abstract

The use of green materials in biomedical and bioengineering applications has significantly expanded in recent years. In this study, we utilized egg white (EW) as an abundant and cost-effective green material, blended with polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/Gel), to fabricate an electrospun scaffold. The fabricated samples underwent comprehensive physicochemical characterization, including SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, tensile assay, and contact angle measurement. These optimized samples were subsequently employed for cell culture experiments. The average diameter of the prepared nanofibers ranged from 215.9 to 434.1 nm. FT-IR and DSC assays confirmed the physical blending of EW, PCL, and Gel without any occurrence of new chemical reactions. The contact angle test demonstrated a decrease in scaffold hydrophilicity from 26.25° to 116.5° with an increase in EW content within the PCL/Gel blend (0%-15%). Notably, the electrospun PCL/Gel nanofibrous mat containing 10% EW exhibited enhanced bioactivity compared to other samples with varying amounts of EW. Consequently, incorporating 10% EW into PCL/Gel nanofibers can significantly improve the efficiency of fibroblast culture. This research introduces a novel nanofibrous scaffold for skin tissue engineering, incorporating Gel and EW as low-cost and readily available materials, with great potential for various biological applications.