Evaluation of physicochemical properties of graphene oxide-decellularized pericardium biohybrid scaffold

The decellularized pericardium has been widely used in cardiac tissue engineering, whereas its clinical applications are limited due to weak mechanical performance, high collagen exposure, and being prone to microbial contamination. In this study, a biohybrid scaffold of the decellularized caprine pericardium (DCP) and graphene oxide (GO) was fabricated by an immersion coating technique. The antimicrobial activity of GO was evaluated against Escherichia coli and showed minimum inhibitory concentration at 125 μg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration at 250 μg/mL. The presence of GO on the surface of the biohybrid GO-DCP was confirmed through SEM analysis. The existence of glycosaminoglycan, elastin, and collagen in the DCP and GO-DCP was inferred from the FTIR spectra. The biocompatibility of GO-DCP was studied by seeding valvular interstitial cells, and the results show GO coating supports cell adhesion on the serous and fibrous sides of the DCP. Further, the biomechanical response of DCP is unaltered by the presence of GO. In conclusion, GO enhances the biological performance of decellularized pericardium, which can be used in cardiac tissue engineering applications.