Arabinoxylan-based psyllium seed hydrocolloid: Single-step aqueous extraction and use in tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Natural biomacromolecules offer advantages like biocompatibility and biodegradability for tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Psyllium seed, rich in arabinoxylan, exhibits gel-forming properties, making it a candidate for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single-step, water-based protocol for extracting and gelating Psyllium seed hydrocolloid (PSH).
• To fabricate and characterize PSH scaffolds for 3D cell culture and assess their potential in tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Extraction and gelation of PSH using a single-step water-based protocol.
• Scaffold fabrication via freeze-drying, followed by morphological, mechanical, swelling, and protein adsorption analyses.
• 3D cell culture of NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells on PSH scaffolds, with cell viability assessed using Live/Dead and Alamar Blue assays.

Main Results:

• High cell viability (90% by day 15) was observed on PSH scaffolds.
• SEM analysis revealed cellular aggregation and spheroid formation on the scaffold.
• Immunostaining showed significant increases in Collagen Type-I (9-fold) and F-actin (10-fold) expression during long-term culture.

Conclusions:

• A non-toxic, single-step protocol for PSH extraction and gelation was successfully established.
• PSH scaffolds provide a supportive 3D microenvironment conducive to cell growth and differentiation.
• PSH holds significant promise for future applications in tissue engineering.