Abstract
Linothele fallax (Mello-Leitão) (L. fallax) spider web, a potentially attractive tissue engineering material, was investigated using quantitative peak force measurement atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy both in its natural state and after treatment with solvents of different protein affinities, namely, water, ethanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Native L. fallax silk threads are densely covered by globular objects, which constitute their inseparable parts. Depending on the solvent, treating L. fallax modifies its appearance. In the case of water and ethanol, the changes are minor. In contrast, DMSO practically removes the globules and fuses the threads into dense bands. Moreover, the solvent treatment influences the chemistry of the threads’ surface, changing their adhesive and, therefore, biocompatibility and cell adhesion properties. On the other hand, the solvent-treated web materials’ contact effect on different types of biological matter differs considerably. Protein-rich matter controls humidity better when wrapped in spider silk treated with more hydrophobic solvents. However, carbohydrate plant materials retain more moisture when wrapped in native spider silk. The extracts produced with the solvents were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry techniques, revealing unsaturated fatty acids as representative adsorbed species, which may explain the mild antibacterial effect of the spider silk. The extracted metabolites were similar for the different solvents, meaning that the globules were not “dissolved” but “fused into” the threads themselves, being supposedly rolled-in knots of the protein chain.
Highlights
Natural spider silk is an extremely strong, elastic, and flexible material,[1−5] which was used for centuries in wound healing.[6−9]Spider silk shows reasonable biodegradability and biocompatibility,[10−12] with only negligible inflammatory response
Since this natural protein has combined charged residues and alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions,[13] it may support the proliferation of different cell types, facilitating cell growth and adhesion.[14−17] spider silk is a perspective material for the development of many biomedical applications, such as tissue regenerating, wound healing dressing, implant coatings, artificial tendons, surgical threads, and blood vessel support.[14,18−21] Spider silk-based biopolymers show a slight antibacterial effect, demonstrated in nature by spiders’ eggs and extra food wrapped in silk fibers
Treatment with different solvents influences the ability of threads to interact with other materials
Summary
Natural spider silk is an extremely strong, elastic, and flexible material,[1−5] which was used for centuries in wound healing.[6−9]. Spider silk shows reasonable biodegradability and biocompatibility,[10−12] with only negligible inflammatory response. As long as the occurrence of postoperative inflammations composes one-fifth of posttransplant complications, it is crucial to identify the material capable of firmly connecting the places of tissue injuries, Received: June 20, 2021 Revised: September 23, 2021
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