Electrospinning of microbial polyester for cell culture

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a biodegradable and biocompatible microbial polyester.
• PHBV has potential applications in biomedical fields due to its favorable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate PHBV into a nanofibrous mat using electrospinning.
• To characterize the physical, mechanical, and structural properties of the electrospun PHBV.
• To evaluate the suitability of electrospun PHBV for cell culture.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of PHBV solutions in trifluoroethanol.
• Determination of specific surface area and porosity.
• Mechanical testing (tensile modulus, strength, elongation ratio).
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity analysis.
• In vitro cell culture studies with chondrocytes.

Main Results:

• Electrospun PHBV nanofibrous mats were successfully fabricated.
• The structure of nanofibers was dependent on solution concentration.
• Electrospun PHBV showed lower tensile modulus and strength but higher elongation ratio than cast film.
• The crystallinity of PHBV was not significantly altered by electrospinning.
• Chondrocytes exhibited better adhesion and growth on the nanofibrous mat compared to the cast film.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun PHBV nanofibrous mats possess unique properties suitable for biomedical applications.
• The enhanced cell adhesion and growth suggest potential for tissue engineering scaffolds.
• PHBV electrospinning is a viable method for creating biocompatible materials for cell culture.