Biocompatibility of electrospun cell culture scaffolds made from balangu seed mucilage/PVA composites

Abstract

Synthesis of Balangu (Lallemantia royleana) seed mucilage (BSM) solutions combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was studied for the purpose of producing 3D electrospun cell culture scaffolds. Production of pure BSM nanofibers proved to be difficult, yet integration of PVA contributed to a facile and successful formation of BSM/PVA nanofibers. Different BSM/PVA ratios were fabricated to achieve the desired nanofibrous structure for cell proliferation. It is found that the optimal bead-free ratio of 50/50 with a mean fiber diameter of ≈180 nm presents the most desirable scaffold structure for cell growth. The positive effect of PVA incorporation was approved by analyzing BSM/PVA solutions through physiochemical assays such as electrical conductivity, viscosity and surface tension tests. According to the thermal analysis (TGA/DSC), incorporation of PVA enhanced thermal stability of the samples. Successful fabrication of the nanofibers is verified by FT-IR spectra, where no major chemical interaction between BSM and PVA is detected. The crystallinity of the electrospun nanofibers is investigated by XRD, revealing the nearly amorphous structure of BSM/PVA scaffolds. The MTT assay is employed to verify the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. The cell culture experiment using epithelial Vero cells shows the affinity of the cells to adhere to their nanofibrous substrate and grow to form continuous cell layers after 72 h of incubation.

Emerging applications of 3D engineered constructs from plant seed extracts

“… Allafchian et al (2021) combined polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with synthesized Balangu (Lallemantia royleana) seed mucilage (BSM) solutions for the purpose of producing 3D electrospun cell culture scaffolds. For this purpose, they integrated PVA into BSM nanofibers, which facilitated the formation of the scaffolds.…”

“…For this purpose, they integrated PVA into BSM nanofibers, which facilitated the formation of the scaffolds. The developed structures’ mechanical strength was approved through improved physiochemical characteristics such as increased electrical conductivity, viscosity, and surface tension tests ( Allafchian et al, 2021 ). In another study, the hydrocolloid quince seed mucilage was enriched with needle-like nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) crystals to fabricate a novel biomimetic osteogenic scaffold ( Cetin Genc et al, 2022 ).…”

Design of polysaccharidic Aloe vera gel incorporated PVA/tetracycline electrospun cell culture scaffolds for biomedical applications

“…For tissue engineering applications, electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds demonstrate a number of remarkable properties compared to continuous films such as high surface area, light weight and high porosity. PVA is a hydrophilic, nontoxic, biocompatible synthetic polymer with mechanical properties favorable for producing fibrous scaffolds which has been commonly explored in biomedical applications [19][20][21]. It can be used in combination with biopolymers to induce dispersive effects and generate mechanical stability in the produced nanofibers [22,23].…”

Bubble-Patterned Films by Inkjet Printing and Gas Foaming

“…Here PLA was selected for both its biocompatibility properties and, also, considering its wide availability as a commercial product, in the form of thin and uniform films. The material used as barrier polymer to induce bubbles in the PLA, during gas foaming, is poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a low-cost polymer known for its efficacy as a barrier to CO 2 , due to the low diffusivity of this gas through it [49,50], water solubility, low toxicity and high biocompatibility [51].…”