Scaffold fabrication for tissue engineering based on radiation copolymerization of polymer blends: (I) Zein/poly (vinyl butyral) blends

Abstract

AbstractThe main objective of this work is to fabricate scaffold material for tissue engineering and using Vero (monkey kidney cells)/Paulownia tomentosa cells as model cells. For this objective, copolymer blends of poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) and Zein, the main constituent, have been fabricated as thin films. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the copolymer blends. The findings showed that Zein component degradation caused the gel fraction percentage to decrease with higher irradiation doses. Zein's thermal characteristics are also decreased by the addition of PVB polymer, but they are improved by irradiation to 10 kGy through promoting phase adhesion and the generation of free radicals at boundary surfaces. Vero (Monkey kidney) cells proliferate more rapidly in the blend Zein/PVB (85/15%) irradiated to 45 kGy than in the unirradiated one. On the other hand, the Paulownia tomentosa cells proliferation was died.Highlights Copolymer blends of Zein and PVB were prepared by gamma irradiation. The copolymers were fabricated as scaffold material for tissue engineering using monkey kidney cells. PVB and Zein copolymer were characterized by FT‐IR, SEM, DSC, and XRD. The Zein/PVB (85/15%)—45 kGy has monkey kidney cells proliferation better than unirradiated one.