Fibroin is a protein that has been extensively studied for biomedical application. In the present study, silk was dissolved in CaCl 2 -C 2 H 5 OH-H 2 O in order to obtain silk fibroin (SF) solution, and it was then lyophilized in freeze-dryer. The electrospinning of SF sponge was performed at different fibroin concentrations. SF nanofibers were modified by crosslinking PAMAM dendrimers to carboxylic-terminated fibroin, via EDC and NHS. The modified SF nanofibers scaffold was evaluated by SEM, X-Ray diffraction, FTIR and MTT assay. SEM micrograph showed that the electrospun containing 7% (w/w) fibroin had continuous fibers and an average diameter of 80 nm. Through treatment, conformational transitions of the SF nanofibers from random coil to b-sheet occurred rapidly, confirmed by FTIR and X-Ray diffraction. FTIR spectrum showed amide peaks, which confirmed the existence of fibroin.The modification results of analysis demonstrated that the amino groups were more established on the surface of the SF nanofiber scaffold. Biocompatibility tests were carried out through seeding fibroblasts cell line L929 on nanofibers. Adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts were investigated by MTT assay, which showed no cytotoxicity. Therefore, fibroin nanofibers scaffolds appear to be a probable choice for potential use in tissue engineering.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.