Electrospun Gelatin Nanofibers Research Articles

Electrospun gelatin nanofibers in situ composite with ZIF-67 for eco-friendly and efficient uranium removal

Electrospun gelatin nanofibers in situ composite with ZIF-67 for eco-friendly and efficient uranium removal

Gelatin nanofibers with black elderberry, Au nanoparticles and SnO2 as intelligent packaging layer used for monitoring freshness of Hake fish

The electrospun gelatin nanofibers containing black elderberry (BE) extract, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and SnO2 were fabricated as intelligent packaging layer for Hake fish (Merluccius merluccius) fillets. Image analysis confirmed the formation of continuous ultrafine fibers. Differences between nanofibers were evaluated in terms of thermal stability, and chemical composition during storage. Fourier transform infrared spectrums indicated strong bonding interactions between gelatin and other compounds. Thermal analysis results showed that the addition of AuNPs contributed to the thermal stabilization of the gelatin chain. L, a, and b values of nanofibers were also measured. A rapid color change occurred after exposure to volatiles with the highest difference in L (52.29 %) of the sample containing gelatin, BE, SnO2 and AuNPs (p < 0.05). This study showed that the absorption of volatiles on nanofibers can be detected from color changes of nanofibers. The outcomes of this study can be applied for intelligent packaging layer in seafood products.

Local delivery of adeno-associated viral vectors with electrospun gelatin nanofiber mats.

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors play a significant role in gene therapy, yet the typical delivery methods, like systemic and local AAV injections, often lead to unintended off-target distribution and tissue damage due to injection. In this study, we propose a localized delivery approach for AAV vectors utilizing electrospun gelatin nanofiber mats, which are cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. The AAV vectors, which encoded a green fluorescent protein (GFP), were loaded onto the mats by immersing them in a solution containing the vectors. The amount of AAV vector loaded onto the mats increased as the vector concentration in the solution increased. The loaded AAV vector was steadily released into the cell culture medium over 3 days. The mats incubated for 3 days also showed the ability to transduce into the cells cultured on them. We evaluated the effectiveness of this delivery system by attaching the mats to mouse livers. GFP expression was visible on the surface of the liver beneath the attached mats, but not in areas in direct contact with the mats. These findings suggest that the attachment of AAV vector-loaded electrospun gelatin nanofiber mats to a target site present a promising solution for localized gene delivery while reducing off-target distribution.

Green Electrospun Nanofibers for Biomedicine and Biotechnology

Green electrospinning harnesses the potential of renewable biomaterials to craft biodegradable nanofiber structures, expanding their utility across a spectrum of applications. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the production, characterization and application of electrospun cellulose, collagen, gelatin and other biopolymer nanofibers in tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensing, environmental remediation, agriculture and synthetic biology. These applications span diverse fields, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensing, environmental remediation, agriculture, and synthetic biology. In the realm of tissue engineering, nanofibers emerge as key players, adept at mimicking the intricacies of the extracellular matrix. These fibers serve as scaffolds and vascular grafts, showcasing their potential to regenerate and repair tissues. Moreover, they facilitate controlled drug and gene delivery, ensuring sustained therapeutic levels essential for optimized wound healing and cancer treatment. Biosensing platforms, another prominent arena, leverage nanofibers by immobilizing enzymes and antibodies onto their surfaces. This enables precise glucose monitoring, pathogen detection, and immunodiagnostics. In the environmental sector, these fibers prove invaluable, purifying water through efficient adsorption and filtration, while also serving as potent air filtration agents against pollutants and pathogens. Agricultural applications see the deployment of nanofibers in controlled release fertilizers and pesticides, enhancing crop management, and extending antimicrobial food packaging coatings to prolong shelf life. In the realm of synthetic biology, these fibers play a pivotal role by encapsulating cells and facilitating bacteria-mediated prodrug activation strategies. Across this multifaceted landscape, nanofibers offer tunable topographies and surface functionalities that tightly regulate cellular behavior and molecular interactions. Importantly, their biodegradable nature aligns with sustainability goals, positioning them as promising alternatives to synthetic polymer-based technologies. As research and development continue to refine and expand the capabilities of green electrospun nanofibers, their versatility promises to advance numerous applications in the realms of biomedicine and biotechnology, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.

Mechanical properties of gelatin nano-hybrid mat reinforced by electrosprayed zein nanoparticles containing tarragon essential oil and in vitro release modeling

This research aimed to produce a nano-hybrid mat based on electrospun gelatin nanofibers (EGNFs) reinforced with electrosprayed zein nanoparticles (EZNPs) containing tarragon essential oil (TEO). TEO was first loaded at10%, 15%, and 20% w/w in the structure of EZNPs and used as a nano-biofiller to reinforce EGNFs mats. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed that using 15% w/w of the TEO in the structure of EZNPs led to the formation of particles with a uniform morphology and a smooth surface. Also, FESEM images revealed that increasing the level of nanoparticles from 0% to 10% w/w significantly reduced the diameter of EGNFs from 305.6 to 160.9 nm. The successful encapsulation of the TEO in the structure of EZNPs and the successful arrangement/incorporation of nanoparticles in the structure of EGNFs were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). The EZNPs containing 15% w/w of TEO were employed in the EGNFs at 5%, 10%, and 15% w/w, and the used nanoparticles at10% w/w reinforced the tensile strength and Young's modulus of mats. The successful placement of EZNPs containing TEO in the EGNFs and the increase in thermal stability of TEO were confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. In vitro release of TEO in simulated media proved that the dominant release mechanism is Fickian diffusion, and the best model describing the release behavior is Peleg's model. Using 10% EZNPs loaded with TEO is recommended to improve the mechanical properties and sustain the release of the essential oil in food systems and food packaging.

Fabrication, optimization and cytotoxicity assessment of Ganoderma lucidum Triterpenoid-loaded electrospun gelatin nanofiber membrane as potential skin patch

Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids (GLT) have shown special anti-tumor effects, but due to low yields and their hydrophobic structure, they have not found much clinical application. Box Behnken Design (BBD) developed a formulation to optimize the effective parameters in encapsulating GLT. Then, Gelatin nanofibers were characterized by SEM, 1H-NMR, and FTIR. Finally, the GLT release kinetics and GLT nanofibers cytotoxicity was studied. BBD shows the best values obtained are the solvent ratio of 11.5%, gelatin concentration of 22%, and voltage of 20 kV which were validated by an experimental assay. The results showed that the positively charged ionic groups present on the surface of gelatin adsorbed the carboxyl groups in GLT and the magnetic fields created by their nucleus influenced each other. Finally, GLT nanofibers with an average size distribution of 75.4 nm were observed. The result showed an efficiency of 75% for drug entrapment. The release kinetics demonstrated a sustained release of GLT follows the Korsmeyer-Peppas model that suggests a combination of surface drug dissolution and quasi-Fickian diffusion. Also, GLT nanofibers showed a higher cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cell lines than free GLT. The generated model suggests a new approach to prediction and experimental nanofibers.

Grafting Through Styrene Polymerization on Electrospun Gelatin Nanofibers by Photopolymerization Type II

During the past few decades, to create new materials for novel uses, the development of numerous hybridmaterials has been the subject of much investigation. In this study, photopolymerization type II was usedto create a hybrid material made of gelatin and polystyrene. For this purpose, firstly gelatin nanofiber (GNF)was synthesized by the electrospinning process. Then, by adding styrene monomer on the gelatinnanofiber, it was bonded to the gelatin nanofiber simultaneously with styrene polymerization by thephotopolymerization type II. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize thechemical structure. Thermal degradations were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis. The surfacemorphologies were searched with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and wettability properties wereinvestigated.

In Vitro Characterization and Histological Evaluations of Paclitaxel-Loaded Nanofibrous Matrices, as Potential Local Therapeutic for Treating Breast Cancer: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

In the current study, paclitaxel was loaded into electrospun gelatin nanofibers in order to produce a potential anti-cancer membrane. The developed system was studied for its cytotoxic effects against breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, biodegradation rate, microstructure, cell migration assay, and tensile strength were performed for the evaluation of anticancer local therapeutic. Study showed that, the electrospun membranes were composed of smooth and web-like nanofibers. In addition, the paclitaxel-loaded nanofibers were toxic against breast cancer cells and prevented their migration. Real time PCR assay showed that the anticancer activity of the developed system might be through regulation of DJ-1/KLF 17 signalling pathway.

Nanoencapsulation of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Peel Extract in Electrospun Gelatin Nanofiber: Preparation, Characterization, and In Vitro Release.

This study describes the preparation and characterization of eggplant peel extract-loaded electrospun gelatin nanofiber and study of its in vitro release. Results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) micrograph revealed that eggplant peel extract-loaded electrospun gelatin nanofiber is in nanometric range with an average diameter 606.7 ± 184.5 and 643.6 ± 186.7 nm for 20 and 33.3 mg mL−1 of extract addition, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of extract improved morphology by being smooth, homogeneous, and without account formation compared to nanofibers without extract (control). Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra indicated that interaction exists between electrospun gelatin nanofiber and eggplant peel extract by hydrogen bond interactions, mainly. Electrospun gelatin nanofibers showed encapsulation efficiency greater than 90% of extract and a maximum release of 95 and 80% for the medium at pH 1.5 and 7.5, respectively. Therefore, the electrospinning technique is a good alternative for the conservation of bioactive compounds present in the eggplant peel through electrospun gelatin nanofiber.

Gelatin nanofiber mats with Lipofectamine/plasmid DNA complexes for in vitro genome editing

Gelatin electrospun nanofiber mats are gaining interest for applications in biomaterials science, such as tissue engineering and drug/gene delivery systems. In this study, we report the use of electrospun gelatin nanofiber mats for plasmid DNA (pDNA) delivery. Gelatin nanofiber mats were insolubilized via cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. On the cross-linked mats, human embryonic kidney-derived HEK293 cells demonstrated high viability for 7 days of culture (>95%) and were able to proliferate during that time. The Lipofectamine/pDNA complexes were immobilized on the mats through immersion in a solution, and HEK293 cells cultured on these mats expressed GFP for 7 days. Furthermore, HEK293 cells did not express GFP via the pDNA complexes released from the mats because the ability to deliver pDNA into the cells was lost. Since the mats could be used to transfect multiple types of pDNA into the cells simultaneously, we have achieved targeted genome editing using the mats. These data highlight the potential of gelatin nanofiber mats with Lipofectamine/pDNA complexes for local gene therapy via pDNA delivery as well as genome editing.

Chondrogenic preconditioning of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells within a magnetic scaffold for osteochondral repair

Stem cell therapy using mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) represents a novel approach to treating severe diseases, including osteoarthritis. However, the therapeutic benefit of MSCs is highly dependent on their differentiation state, which can be regulated by many factors. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) magnetic scaffolds were successfully fabricated by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into electrospun gelatin nanofibers. When positioned near a rotating magnet (f = 0.5 Hz), the magnetic scaffolds with the embedded MSCs were driven upward/downward in the culture container, which induced mechanical stimulation to MSCs due to spatial confinement and fluid flow. The extracellular matrix-mimicking scaffold and the alternating magnetic field significantly enhanced chondrogenesis instead of osteogenesis. Furthermore, the fiber topography could be tuned with different compositions of the coating layer on MNPs, and the topography had a significant impact on MSC differentiation. Selective up-regulation of chondrogenesis-related genes (COL2A1 and ACAN) was found for the magnetic scaffolds with citric acid-coated MNPs (CAG). In contrast, osteogenesis-related genes (RUNX2 and SPARC) were selectively and significantly up-regulated for the magnetic scaffolds with polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated MNPs. Prior to implantation in vivo, chondrogenic preconditioning of MSCs within the CAG scaffolds under a dynamic magnetic field resulted in superior osteochondral repair. Hence, the magnetic scaffolds together with an in-house rotating magnet device could be a novel platform to initiate multiple stimuli on stem cell differentiation for effective repair of osteochondral defects.

The development and characterization of electrospun gelatin nanofibers containing indomethacin and curcumin for accelerated wound healing

Nanofibers are frequently investigated to facilitate wound healing. In this study, gelatin nanofibers were produced that are biodegradable and biocompatible. Indomethacin and curcumin were added to the formulation to add antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties to the nanofibers. The nanofibers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Cell viability, proliferation, tensile strength, content uniformity, antioxidant activity, drug release studies were investigated. DSC and FTIR analyses showed that indomethacin and curcumin were coated with the gelatin in the nanofibers. SEM studies demonstrated that smooth and homogeneous nanofibers were produced in the range 260–360 nm. Tensile strength values decreased with the addition of indomethacin and curcumin to the gelatin nanofiber, while the antioxidant activity results showed that the wound dressings can remove reactive oxygen species. There was no significant decrease in cell viability as a result of adding indomethacin and curcumin to the nanofibers. It was predicted that with a rapid release of indomethacin from the nanofibers, an analgesic effect will be obtained first and then an antioxidant effect will be seen from the long-term release of curcumin. Consequently, it was shown that the nanofibers produced can be used safely and effectively as an antioxidant wound dressing material.

Non-Toxic Crosslinking of Electrospun Gelatin Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering and Biomedicine-A Review.

Electrospinning can be used to prepare nanofiber mats from diverse polymers, polymer blends, or polymers doped with other materials. Amongst this broad range of usable materials, biopolymers play an important role in biotechnological, biomedical, and other applications. However, several of them are water-soluble, necessitating a crosslinking step after electrospinning. While crosslinking with glutaraldehyde or other toxic chemicals is regularly reported in the literature, here, we concentrate on methods applying non-toxic or low-toxic chemicals, and enzymatic as well as physical methods. Making gelatin nanofibers non-water soluble by electrospinning them from a blend with non-water soluble polymers is another method described here. These possibilities are described together with the resulting physical properties, such as swelling behavior, mechanical strength, nanofiber morphology, or cell growth and proliferation on the crosslinked nanofiber mats. For most of these non-toxic crosslinking methods, the degree of crosslinking was found to be lower than for crosslinking with glutaraldehyde and other common toxic chemicals.

Multifunctional Antimicrobial Nanofiber Dressings Containing ε-Polylysine for the Eradication of Bacterial Bioburden and Promotion of Wound Healing in Critically Colonized Wounds.

Bacterial colonization of acute and chronic wounds is often associated with delayed wound healing and prolonged hospitalization. The rise of multi-drug resistant bacteria and the poor biocompatibility of topical antimicrobials warrant safe and effective antimicrobials. Antimicrobial agents that target microbial membranes without interfering with the mammalian cell proliferation and migration hold great promise in the treatment of traumatic wounds. This article reports the utility of superhydrophilic electrospun gelatin nanofiber dressings (NFDs) containing a broad-spectrum antimicrobial polymer, ε-polylysine (εPL), crosslinked by polydopamine (pDA) for treating second-degree burns. In a porcine model of partial thickness burns, NFDs promoted wound closure and reduced hypertrophic scarring compared to untreated burns. Analysis of NFDs in contact with the burns indicated that the dressings trap early colonizers and elicit bactericidal activity, thus creating a sterile wound bed for fibroblasts migration and re-epithelialization. In support of these observations, in porcine models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus colonized partial thickness burns, NFDs decreased bacterial bioburden and promoted wound closure and re-epithelialization. NFDs displayed superior clinical outcome than standard-of-care silver dressings. The excellent biocompatibility and antimicrobial efficacy of the newly developed dressings in pre-clinical models demonstrate its potential for clinical use to manage infected wounds without compromising tissue regeneration.

Angelica Essential Oil Loaded Electrospun Gelatin Nanofibers for Active Food Packaging Application.

The development of food packaging possessing bioactivities which could extend the shelf life of food has gained increased interest in recent years. In this study, gelatin nanofibers with encapsulated angelica essential oil (AEO) were fabricated via electrospinning. The morphology of gelatin/AEO nanofibers was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the addition of AEO resulted in the increase of fiber diameter. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectra were measured to confirm the presence of AEO in nanofibers. The hydrophobic property of gelatin nanofibers was also found to be improved with the addition of AEO. The nanofibers incorporated with AEO showed significant antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in a concentration dependent manner. Furthermore, the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay demonstrated that the developed gelatin/AEO nanofibers revealed no cytotoxicity effect. Thus, gelatin nanofibers incorporated with AEO can be used as potential food packaging.

Immobilization of \u03b2-Galactosidase From Aspergillus oryzae on Electrospun Gelatin Nanofiber Mats for the Production of Galactooligosaccharides

Two simple and easily reproducible methods for the immobilization of β-galactosidase (β-gal) from Aspergillus oryzae on electrospun gelatin nanofiber mats (GFM) were developed. The process was optimized regarding the electrospinning solvent system and the subsequent cross-linking of GFM in order to increase their stability in water. β-Gal was covalently immobilized on activated gelatin nanofiber mats with hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) as a bifunctional linker and secondly via entrapment into the gelatin nanofibers during the electrospinning process (suspension electrospinning). Optimal immobilization parameters for covalent immobilization were determined to be at pH 7.5, 40 °C, β-gal concentration of 1 mg/mL and immobilization time of 24.5 h. For suspension electrospinning, the optimal immobilization parameters were identified at pH 4.5 and β-gal concentration of 0.027 wt.% in the electrospinning solution. The pH and temperature optima of immobilized β-gal shifted from 30 °C, pH 4.5 (free enzyme) to pH 3.5, 50 °C (covalent immobilization) and pH 3.5, 40 °C (suspension electrospinning). Striking differences in the Michaelis constant (KM) of immobilized β-gal compared with free enzyme were observed with a reduction of KM up to 50% for immobilized enzyme. The maximum velocity (vmax) of immobilization by suspension electrospinning was almost 20 times higher than that of covalent immobilization. The maximum GOS yield for free β-gal was found to be 27.7% and 31% for immobilized β-gal.

Gelatin nanofiber assisted zero order release of Amphotericin-B: A study with realistic drug loading for oral formulation

Oral administration of Amphotericin B (AmB) is abstained due to its poor bioavailability and high toxicity. Current intravenous lipid formulations are delivered as 3−5 mg AmB/kg of body weight, due to its dose dependent nephrotoxicity. In this work, we engineer the electrospun gelatin nanofibers to enable their use for controlled release of AmB in the form of oral tablets while focusing on loading realistic drug doses of AmB as per the clinical guidelines for the treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis. A detailed study is carried out to understand the effect of different crosslinking strategies, drug concentrations, compressive loading (to form tablets) and additional protective layer of sodium alginate on release kinetics. Based on the outcome of these studies, we developed a systematic protocol to achieve the controlled release and minimizing the frequency of dosing in order to attain less toxicity at realistic body pH condition. The swelling and enzymatic degradation studies further infer the realistic stability of the tablet and its correlation with the in-vitro release kinetics of drug.

Fabrication, characterization and cytocompatibility assessment of gelatin nanofibers coated with a polymer thin film by initiated chemical vapor deposition.

The presence of various functional groups in the structure of gelatin nanofibers (GNFs) has made it a suitable candidate for biomedical applications, yet its fast dissolution in aqueous media has been a real challenge for years. In the present work, we propose an efficient procedure to improve the durability of the GNFs. The electrospun GNFs were coated with poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (pEGDMA) using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) as a completely dry polymerization method. Morphological and chemical analysis revealed that an ultrathin layer formed around nanofibers (iCVD-GNFs) which has covalently bonded to gelatin chains. Against the instant dissolution of GNFs, the in vitro biodegradability test showed the iCVD-GNFs, to a large extent, preserve their morphology after 14days of immersion and did not lose its integrity even after 31days. In vitro cell culture studies, also, revealed cytocompatibility of the iCVD-GNFs for human fibroblast cells (hFC), as well as higher cell proliferation on the iCVD-GNFs compared to control made from tissue culture plate (TCP). Furthermore, contact angle measurements indicated that the hydrophilic GNFs became hydrophobic after the iCVD, yet FE-SEM images of cell-seeded iCVD-GNFs showed satisfactory cell adhesion. Taken together, the proposed method paves a promising way for the production of water-resistant GNFs utilized in biomedical applications; for instance, tissue engineering scaffolds and wound dressings.

Fabrication, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Airbrushed Gelatin Nanofibers.

Gelatin nanofibers have gained significant attention for different biomedical applications, as they provide a suitable environment for cell attachment, growth, and proliferation compared to the other biopolymers and synthetic polymers. Airbrushing/solution-blow-spinning could overcome the limitation of the conventional electrospinning method of nanofiber preparation. The present study reports the fabrication of nano/microfibers from commercially available low-molecular-weight gelatin of animal origin as a first-time study. The effect of various airbrushing parameters, namely, the concentration of gelatin solution, air pressure, and polymer solution flow rate on the fiber quality, morphology, and diameters, was studied. Finally, the biological evaluation of the airbrushed gelatin nanofibers was performed using human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Gelatin nanofibers exhibit excellent biocompatibility and support the growth of hBMSCs similar to electrospun gelatin nanofibers. Our airbrushing technique is an easy, low-cost, and scalable method to fabricate the gelatin nanofibers for different biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, wound healing, and substrate for delivery of bioactive molecules.

4-Axis printing microfibrous tubular scaffold and tracheal cartilage application

Long-segment defects remain a major problem in clinical treatment of tubular tissue reconstruction. The design of tubular scaffold with desired structure and functional properties suitable for tubular tissue regeneration remains a great challenge in regenerative medicine. Here, we present a reliable method to rapidly fabricate tissue- engineered tubular scaffold with hierarchical structure via 4-axis printing system. The fabrication process can be adapted to various biomaterials including hydrogels, thermoplastic materials and thermosetting materials. Using polycaprolactone (PCL) as an example, we successfully fabricated the scaffolds with tunable tubular architecture, controllable mesh structure, radial elasticity, good flexibility, and luminal patency. As a preliminary demonstration of the applications of this technology, we prepared a hybrid tubular scaffold via the combination of the 4-axis printed elastic poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) bio-spring and electrospun gelatin nanofibers. The scaffolds seeded with chondrocytes formed tubular mature cartilage-like tissue both via in vitro culture and subcutaneous implantation in the nude mouse, which showed great potential for tracheal cartilage reconstruction.