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Expansion of Two-dimension Electrospun Nanofiber Mats into Three-dimension Scaffolds
Published on: January 7, 2019
Tissue engineered plant extracts as nanofibrous wound dressing
Guorui Jin1, Molamma P Prabhakaran, Dan Kai
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore.
Biomaterials
|November 1, 2012
Summary
This study explored plant extracts in nanofiber scaffolds for skin regeneration. Electrospun polycaprolactone/Memecylon edule (PCL/ME) nanofibers best supported human dermal fibroblast proliferation and epidermal differentiation, showing potential for skin tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Plant extracts have a long history in wound healing.
- Electrospun nanofibers offer high surface area and porosity ideal for cell growth.
- Combining plant extracts with nanofibers can create advanced skin graft substitutes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of electrospun nanofibers incorporating four plant extracts (Indigofera aspalathoides, Azadirachta indica, Memecylon edule, Myristica andamanica) with polycaprolactone (PCL) for skin tissue engineering.
- To evaluate human dermal fibroblast (HDF) proliferation and differentiation on these nanofibrous scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of PCL with four different plant extracts.
- Cell proliferation assay using HDFs.
- F-actin and collagen staining to study cell-scaffold interaction.
- Epidermal differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells on selected scaffolds.
Main Results:
- PCL/Memecylon edule (PCL/ME) nanofibers showed the highest HDF proliferation (31% greater than PCL alone after 9 days).
- PCL/ME scaffolds exhibited the least cytotoxicity among the tested plant extract scaffolds.
- Early and intermediate stages of epidermal differentiation were achieved on PCL/ME scaffolds.
Conclusions:
- Electrospun PCL/ME nanofibers show significant potential as substrates for skin tissue engineering.
- The PCL/ME nanofibrous scaffold is a promising candidate for developing advanced skin graft substitutes.
