Abstract
Abstract This study aimed to prepare and characterise polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with cellulose nanofibre (CNF) from a Pennisetum purpureum-based composite scaffold and determine its structural and mechanical properties. Porous scaffolds with CNF compositions of 5‒20 wt% in the PLA matrix were developed using solvent casting and particulate leaching of its porogen at 90 wt% of loadings. Morphology studies using field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the scaffolds had well-interconnected pores with an average pore size range of 67‒137 µm and porosity >76%. X-ray diffraction confirmed the interconnectivity and homogeneity of the pores and the fibrous structure of the scaffolds. The compressive strength of the fabricated scaffolds varied between 2.34 and 6.66 MPa, while their compressive modulus was between 1.95 and 6.04 MPa for various CNF contents. Furthermore, water absorption and thermal degradation studies showed that the scaffold had good hydrophilicity and improved thermal stability. These findings highlight the need to modify the pore structure and mechanical performance simultaneously for tissue engineering. Thus, this study concludes that the developed PLA scaffolds reinforced with CNF from Pennisetum purpureum are potential candidates for cell attachment and extracellular matrix generation.
Highlights
Soft tissue is comprised of a variety of tissues, including skin, fat, tendons, muscles, nerves, articular cartilage, blood vessels, and fascia
This study evaluates the performance of polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds reinforced with various cellulose nanofibre (CNF) from Pennisetum purpureum using solvent casting and particulate leaching techniques
The original strong band of the PLA element at 1,084 cm−1 was found to become significantly weaker and broader with an increased CNF content. These results indicate that the main spectrum characteristics of the pure PLA scaffold were very similar to those of the PLA scaffolds reinforced with a varying CNF content from Pennisetum purpureum, demonstrating an apparent crosslinking between the PLA and CNF of the prepared scaffolds, which is in agreement with the literature [48,49,50,51,52,53]
Summary
Soft tissue is comprised of a variety of tissues, including skin, fat, tendons, muscles, nerves, articular cartilage, blood vessels, and fascia. Due to complications associated with autologous transplantations, such as rapid loss in volume and absorb approximately 40–60% of soft tissue cells, remain feasible, as reported by Yuksel et al [2]. The constraints associated with existing treatments have led researchers to develop new biological replacements to overcome the limitations of current clinical treatments by exploring alternative biomaterials, such as polymeric scaffolds incorporated with nanocellulose. CNF is a promising biomaterial that has been highly recommended for use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine as a reinforcement of polymeric scaffolds for cell culture. Associated with tissue engineering and regenerative medicine topics, these factors facilitate polymeric scaffolds with reinforced CNF with enhanced properties, such as high mechanical strength, surface modifications, and biological properties
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