Preparation of cell culture scaffolds using polycaprolactone/quince seed mucilage

In the present study, the polymer obtained from Cydonia oblonga Miller seeds (quince seed mucilage (QSM)) in combination with polycaprolactone (PCL) was used for producing hybrid electrospun scaffolds as three-dimensional (3D) cell culture platforms. Various PCL/QSM ratios were tested to obtain a uniform product with an appropriate mean fiber diameter for cell growth. The chemical structures of the scaffolds were studied by FT-IR spectroscopy and their crystallinity was investigated by XRD. Fiber morphology studies by SEM revealed that the fiber mean diameters decrease upon increasing the QSM component of the electrospun compound. The PCL/QSM ratio of 60/40 exhibited desirable uniform bead-free nanofibers. The hydrophilicity of the scaffolds were explored by contact angle measurements, which indicated that more hydrophilic fibers are produced as the PCL/QSM ratio is decreased. Porosity and strength of the scaffolds were also studied, which showed the key role of PCL in mechanical strength of the nanofibers. The results of cell culture experiments using epithelial Vero cells on the scaffolds displayed their high capacity in cell growth and proliferation. It was revealed that the electrospun PCL/QSM based scaffolds with 3D structures and 75-150 nm mean fiber diameters are able to maximize adhesion and growth of Vero cells.