In vitro probing of oxidized inulin cross-linked collagen-ZrO₂ hybrid scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

Hybrid biomaterials incorporated with active ingredients and metal nanoparticles are gaining more interest owing to their increased wound healing capacity. Here, we report the preparation of hybrid collagen scaffolds stabilized with oxidized inulin and ZrO₂ nanoparticles for biomedical applications. The functional group changes in the oxidized inulin were ascertained using FT-IR spectroscopy. The hybrid collagen scaffolds possessed all the basic biomaterial characteristics such as biodegradability, porosity, swelling ability, enzymatic and thermal stability. Particularly, the hydrothermal stability of collagen is enhanced up to 96 °C. The hybrid scaffolds are shown to be biocompatible with stem cells and osteoblast cells. The scratch wound healing assay demonstrates that the hybrid scaffolds can heal the wound up to 60% after 24 h incubation due to their higher cell migration index compared to the native collagen scaffold. The results suggest that the prepared hybrid collagen scaffolds can be used for tissue engineering applications.