ArticlePublisher preview available

Characterization of wet-electrospun cellulose acetate based 3-dimensional scaffolds for skin tissue engineering applications: influence of cellulose acetate concentration

Springer Nature
Cellulose
Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract and Figures

As skin defects cannot regenerate by themselves, tissue engineering through tissue-mimicking scaffolds holds promise for treating such defects. In this study, cellulose acetate (CA)-based three-dimensional scaffolds were produced using the wet-electrospinning technique, and the influence of concentrations on the properties of the wet-electrospun scaffolds was investigated for the first time. CA with concentrations of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were dissolved in acetone to fabricate the scaffolds. Wet electrospinning was carried out under an applied voltage of 15 kV and a tip-to-bath distance of 10 cm into the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (pH ~13) as a coagulation bath. The specimens with concentrations of 4–7 % (w/v) just produced droplets. The concentration of 8 % (w/v) produced beaded fibers, and the fibers of 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were almost oriented in a random, dispersive manner and formed a non-woven structure morphology under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation. The porosity measurement via the liquid displacement method showed that all scaffolds could not meet the accepted ideal porosity percentage of above 80 %, and the highest recorded porosity percentage was 69.5 % for the 12 % (w/v) scaffold. The contact angle measurement data displayed the high hydrophobicity of all scaffolds, which was expected because of the hydrophobic nature of CA. In vitro L929 mouse fibroblast cell culture demonstrated that all scaffolds presented a non-toxic environment and enhanced cell proliferation and attachment.
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
ORIGINAL PAPER
Characterization of wet-electrospun cellulose acetate based
3-dimensional scaffolds for skin tissue engineering
applications: influence of cellulose acetate concentration
Mahdi Naseri Nosar .Majid Salehi .Sadegh Ghorbani .
Shahram Pour Beiranvand .Arash Goodarzi .Mahmoud Azami
Received: 20 April 2016 / Accepted: 29 July 2016 / Published online: 18 August 2016
©Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016
Abstract As skin defects cannot regenerate by them-
selves, tissue engineering through tissue-mimicking
scaffolds holds promise for treating such defects. In this
study, cellulose acetate (CA)-based three-dimensional
scaffolds were produced using the wet-electrospinning
technique, and the influence of concentrations on the
properties of the wet-electrospun scaffolds was inves-
tigated for the first time. CA with concentrations of 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were dissolved in
acetone to fabricate the scaffolds. Wet electrospinning
was carried out under an applied voltage of 15 kV and a
tip-to-bath distance of 10 cm into the aqueous solution
of sodium hydroxide (NaOH)(pH ~13) as a coagulation
bath. The specimens with concentrations of 4–7 % (w/v)
just produced droplets. The concentration of 8 % (w/v)
produced beaded fibers, and the fibers of 9, 10, 12 and
14 % (w/v) were almost oriented in a random, dispersive
manner and formed a non-woven structure morphology
under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observa-
tion. The porosity measurement via the liquid
displacement method showed that all scaffolds could
not meet the accepted ideal porosity percentage of above
80 %, and the highest recorded porosity percentage was
69.5 % for the 12 % (w/v) scaffold. The contact angle
measurement data displayed the high hydrophobicity of
all scaffolds, which was expected because of the
hydrophobic nature of CA. In vitro L929 mouse
fibroblast cell culture demonstrated that all scaffolds
presented a non-toxic environment and enhanced cell
proliferation and attachment.
Keywords Cellulose acetate · Wet electrospinning ·
Scaffold · Skin tissue engineering
Introduction
Skin is the largest organ of the human body and actsas a
protective barrier against microbial invasion, dehydra-
tion, and thermal, mechanical and chemical insults
(Vatankhah et al. 2014). Skin defects such as burns, soft
tissue traumas and diseases leading to skin necrosis can
M. N. Nosar · M. Salehi · A. Goodarzi · M. Azami (&)
Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell
Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine,
Tehran University of Medical Sciences,
1417755469 Tehran, Iran
e-mail: m-azami@tums.ac.ir
M. N. Nosar
e-mail: Naseri.iranica@gmail.com
M. Salehi
e-mail: majidsalehi_ezd@yahoo.com
A. Goodarzi
e-mail: dvm.goodarzi86@yahoo.com
S. Ghorbani · S. P. Beiranvand
Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medical
Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115111 Tehran,
Iran
e-mail: Sadegh.ghorbani@modares.ac.ir
S. P. Beiranvand
e-mail: Shahrampb@yahoo.com
123
Cellulose (2016) 23:3239–3248
DOI 10.1007/s10570-016-1026-7
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Cellulose acetate, a biodegradable polymer, is created through the esterification of cellulose [105]. Its exploration in various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering [106], wound healing [107], and drug delivery systems [108], is attributed to its resource availability, cost-effectiveness, and straightforward isolation techniques. ...
Article
Full-text available
Made from a variety of natural sources, Nano Crystalline Cellulose (NCC) is a unique renewable nanomaterial with a wide range of applications due to its high stiffness and strength, low weight, biodegradability, and environmental benefits. Because of its special inherent qualities, NCC is one of the most renewable materials to be addressed by nanomaterials. The origins, manufacture, characteristics, and applications of nanomaterials, including NCC and nanofibers, have been extensively studied by a large number of researchers throughout the years. Strong chemical reactivity, crystallinity, strength and stiffness, biocompatibility, biodegradability, shape, and nanoscale dimensions are just a few of the remarkable properties that these nanomaterials have been shown to possess in countless investigations. These characteristics enable the application of these nanoparticles in a number of fields, including medicine. Among the most traditional and popular techniques. Electrospinning is one of the earliest and most popular techniques for producing nanofibers. This method works well and can be modified to produce continuous nanofibers. NCC-based nanofibers are novel materials in the biomaterials industry. Recent studies demonstrated that electrospun nanofibers could be efficiently loaded with a wide range of drugs, such as proteins, chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics, and analgesics with anti-inflammatory qualities. One application of NCC and nanofibers in the medical field is drug delivery. This review highlights a number of issues related to NCC nanofibers and their use in drug delivery applications, beginning with discussing the various natural polymer types used in drug delivery applications, the physicochemical and biological properties of NCC, its various applications, its significance, and its preparation techniques.
... [107] Through electrospinning, cellulose nanofibrous materials with geometric fiber arrangements similar to those of natural ECM can be produced. [108] This allowed to use them in a wider array of biomedical applications including drug delivery [109], wound dressing [110], tissue repair or healing replacement (e.g., skin [111], bone [112], duramater [113]) and medical implants [114]). There are many other natural polymers commonly adapted for electrospinning to generate nanofibrous constructs for tissue regeneration applications, including chitin, chitosan [115], alginate[116] and hyaluronic acid (HA) [117]. ...
Article
Electrospinning is a remarkably straightforward and adaptable technique that can be employed to process an array of synthetic and natural materials, resulting in the production of nano-scale fibers. It has emerged as a novel technique for biomedical applications and has gained increasing popularity in the research community in recent times. In the context of tissue repair and tissue engineering, there is a growing tendency towards the integration of biomimetic scaffolds and bioactive macromolecules, particularly proteins and growth factors. The design of “smart” systems provides not merely physical support, but also microenvironmental cues that can guide regenerative tissue repair. Electrospun nanofibrous matrices are regarded as a highly promising tool in this area, as they can serve as both an extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking scaffold and a vehicle for the delivery of bioactive proteins. Their highly porous architecture and high surface-to-volume ratio facilitate the loading of drugs and mass transfer. By employing a judicious selection of materials and processing techniques, there is considerable flexibility in efficiently customizing nanofiber architecture and incorporating bioactive proteins. This paper presents a review of the strategies employed for the structural modification and protein delivery of electrospun nanofibrous materials, with a focus on the objective of achieving a tailored tissue response. The paper goes on to discuss the challenges currently facing the field and to suggest future research directions.
... 15,22 This kind of architecture offers temporal and spatial control and release of bioactive molecules, drugs or NPs of interest that could be either adsorbed on nanofiber surface or encapsulated within the electrospun mat matrix to address various health disorders such as wounds, dermal substitutes, bacterial growth, neural tissue engineering, and several other diseases. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] Diabetes mellitus is considered a metabolic disease which results from prolonged un-control of blood glucose levels. It is characterized by several complications including polyphagia, polydipsia, frequent urination, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, arterial damage, and delayed wound repair. ...
Article
Full-text available
Diabetic wound healing remains a significant challenge due to impaired and delayed healing processes. Recently, nanoscaffold dressings with their intricate architectures gained remarkable attention in regenerative medicine. Herein, electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) nanofiber dressings incorporated with various concentrations of bioglass nanoparticles (BGNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared as novel nanocomposites for possible healing of diabetic wound healing. The prepared dressings were physico-chemically characterized using scan electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The antimicrobial activities for the prepared dressings were firstly evaluated in-vitro and then in-vivo against streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. FTIR and EDX elemental analyses confirmed the chemical and the structural composition of the prepared electrospun CA/BGNPs/AgNPs nanofiber dressings. SEM analysis revealed uniform, smooth and continuous nanofiber (40–180 nm diameter) that showed higher thermal stability as indicated by TGA analysis. The 3% BGNPs and 5% AgNPs loaded CA nanofibers showed maximal antimicrobial activity specifically against the gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (42 ± 1.9 mm) and the gram negative Escherichia coli (43 ± 2.2 mm) which are the main two bacteria infecting wounds. In vivo study revealed remarkable acceleration in wound healing process with 3% BGNPs and 5% AgNPs combination with maximal efficient wound closure by Day 6 without induction of skin irritation. Therefore, the newly designed CA/BGNPs/AgNPs nanofiber dressing hold promising potential for the management of diabetic wounds.
... Empirical evidence indicates that a contact angle within the 40e70-degree range is advantageous for fostering these characteristics. Compared to very hydrophobic or overly hydrophilic surfaces, this range denotes a moderately hydrophilic surface, which promotes better cell adhesion and proliferation [42,43]. Biomaterials exhibit an increase in water absorption at very low contact angles, resulting in a decrease in protein absorptionda necessary component for cell attachment and recognition. ...
... CA, in its fiber form, presents a unique combination of high surface area, porosity, flexibility, tensile strength, and rigidity [17,18]. These properties make CA electrospun mats ( Fig. 1) a fascinating material for a wide range of applications, such as drug delivery systems [19,20], filtration purposes [21], catalyst support [22,23], cellular structures for tissue engineering [24][25][26], oil removal [27], and binary liquid aerosol system [28]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Cellulose acetate (CA) is an important derivative of cellulose sourced from various origins, notably traditional markets like cotton and wood. This study investigated the production of CA mats through electrospinning from solutions that were made by mixing dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) in different ratios, with varying CA (average degree of substitution and Mw of 2.5 and roughly 153000 g/mol, respectively) concentrations and electrospinning parameters, such as flow rate, and voltage. After, the tests were carried out using 8% as CA concentration and the static collector, 20 kV, and a 5 µl/min flow rate were selected to proceed. The mat formed from the 8 wt% CA solution, with a ratio of 35/65, was composed of bead-free fibers. For most mats, the tensile strength-at-break and the tensile modulus increased with the concentration of CA in the solution that generated the mat. The mat composed of 11 wt% CA was primarily composed of a network of ultrathin fibers free of beads and exhibited superior tensile properties compared to the other mats (tensile strength-at-break of 4.3 MPa, tensile modulus of 102 MPa, and an elongation-at-break of 26%). Thus, an 11 wt% CA solution was used to form mats in the rotating collector. At 2028 rpm, a mat with thinner fibers (average diameter of 157 nm) and not in a network was formed, in addition to greater tensile properties (tensile strength-at-break of 14.0 MPa, a tensile modulus of 198 MPa, and an elongation-at-break of around 42%) than the mat formed on the static collector.
Article
Full-text available
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of nano-encapsulation of annatto seed and beetroot extracts on extending the shelf life of beef burger stored in the freezer for 60 days. The study included eight different treatments T1 (no addition), T2 (0.23g beetroot extract), T3 (0.11g annatto extract), T4 (185.6µg/ml nano-annatto), T5 (92.8µg/ml nano-annatto), T6 (187.6µg/ml nano-beetroot), T7 (93.8µg/ml nano-beetroot) and T8 (0.01%BHA). The treatment was stored for 15, 30, 45 and 60 days, then some physical, chemical, microbial and sensory tests were conducted. The results showed that nano-encapsulation of annatto seed and beetroot extracts recorded a significant increase (P<0.01) in the percentages of protein, fat and ash, an increase in the concentration of myoglobin pigment, TBA values and the Thaw loss percentage, and a significant decrease (P<0.01) in the percentage of moisture. best results were achieved in reducing the increase in the number of Total bacterial count in the encapsulated beef burger compared to the control treatment. It can be concluded that nano-encapsulation of annatto seed and beetroot extracts in beef burgers stored in the freezer for periods of 15, 30, 45 and 60 days achieved antioxidant activity through a decrease in oxidation indicators represented by the TBA value, and a decrease in the Total bacterial count.
Article
Electrospinning is a straightforward and adaptable technique for creating ultrafine fibers with distinctive chemical and physical characteristics, making them widely applicable across diverse fields. The applications depend on the richness of the morphology and structure of the electrospun fibers and adjustability of the surface properties. Traditional electrospinning is a dry process, with a solid collector, which has limited control over the fiber morphology and structure. Wet electrospinning replaces the traditional solid collector with a liquid coagulation bath, which can yield fibers with porous, bending, and twisting structures. In addition, the fiber surface can be modified and functionalized to prepare continuous nanofiber yarn, which considerably improves the performance of electrospun fibers in some applications. Wet electrospinning promotes the industrial production of electrospun fibers in the textile fields. Therefore, in view of the rapid development of wet electrospinning in the past few years, this paper briefly reviews the recent advances, including the basic principles, device modifications, novel morphologies and structures, and material and product applications. The study explores the research prospects and future development potential of wet electrospinning based on a careful review from the perspective of different application fields.
Article
Numerous strategies exist to design a suitable bone graft made from polyurethane (PU) nanofibers. However, using PU nanofibers is impractical owing to their hydrophobicity. This work transforms the hydrophobicity of PU nanofibers using β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs). Transmission and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated the size of ~100 to 200 nm for ZnO NPs, and these NPs could finely harmonize inside nanofibers. The phenolphthalein absorbance test confirmed the inclusion of ZnO and β‐CD. Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, and photoelectron spectroscopy showed that synthesized composites have intermolecular hydrogen interactions between the PU, β‐CD, and ZnO NPs. These embellishments improved the hydrophilicity from a contact angle of 60.2 ± 0.2° to 0°. The tensile strength of modified fibers increased from 2.16 ± 0.14 to 6.65 ± 6.0 MPa. The incorporation of ZnO NPs caused the mineralization of the nanofibers and the maximum number of hydroxyapatite NPs in the composite, which had the highest concentration of ZnO NPs. These nanofiber mats boosted the proliferation of Human Embryonic Kidney 293 T cells till 6 days of culture for the nanofiber with 5% β‐CD and 75 mg ZnO NPs combination. Cell fixation studies indicated the successful attachment of cells onto nanofibers. Consequently, our multifunctional scaffolds could be osteoproductive and osteoinductive biomaterials for future bone tissue engineering.
Article
Full-text available
The aim of this work was to prepare the scaffolds of pure poly (L-lactic acid) 3% (w/v), pure chitosan 3% (w/v), and PLLA/chitosan blend (1:5) 3% (w/v) using TIPS method and investigate their properties and application in tissue engineering. An in vitro degradation study of scaffolds showed the addition of chitosan to PLLA not only increased its degradation rate, but also slowed down its pH value reduction. Addition of chitosan to PLLA increased hydrophilicity, porosity, compressive properties, and cell viability of the scaffolds. The results indicate that among all scaffolds, the most appropriate candidate for tissue engineering is PLLA/chitosan blend.
Article
Full-text available
Biodegradable polymers have been used in biomedical applications generally, and in tissue engineering especially, due to good physical and biological properties. Poly-epsiloncaprolactone (PCL) is a one of biodegradable polymers, which has a long time of degradation. But the mechanical properties, biodegradability and biocompatibility of the pure PCL cannot meet up with the requirement for some of the biomedical applications such as bone tissue engineering, for that many researches have established to focus on the modification of the PCL. In this review, different results on the fabrication of PCL for specific field of tissue engineering, tissue engineering incorporated in different PCL, surface modifications, blending with other polymers and their micro-porous structure are represented in brief outcomes. In addition dissolution of PCL in different organic solvents and the effect on their properties was attainable. Moreover, the physical and biological properties of PCL for different type of tissue engineering applications (hard and soft tissue) are obtainable.
Article
Full-text available
Wet electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and dimethylformamide (DMF) with copper nanoparticles (CuNP) at different concentrations from 0.2 to 1 wt% have been studied under certain spinning conditions. A specific coagulating water bath has been used to collect different fibroses and fibril diameters, the effect of spinning height on the produced nanofiber and CuNP/PAN nanofibril composites have been studied from 1 to 7 cm heights. A minimum average diameter of 64 nm has been reported at 7-cm spinning height. Two heat treatment steps have been used to enhance the electrical properties of CuNP/PAN nanofibril composites. SEM has been used to study the morphological characteristics of the electrospun nanofibroses membranes. Preliminary electrical measurements using 4-point probing system showed a noticeable improvement in the electrical conductivity of the produced nanofibril composite membranes. Also, electrical property of a single CuNP/carbon nanofibril composite has been theoretically calculated based on Lichtenecker formula. The produced membranes have been used to build a micro surface-mounted components (MSMC) such as Micro Field Effect Transistor (MFET). A high transconductance has been reported for such a device which will open the door for many promising applications especially in Electronics and Biomedicine .
Article
Full-text available
Electrospinning of cellulose acetate (CA) was studied in relation to factors of solvent composition, polymer concentration, and flow rate to elucidate how the processing parameters impact electrospun CA structure. Fibrous cellulose-based mats were produced from electrospinning cellulose acetate (CA, Mn = 30,000, DS = 2.45) in acetone, acetone/isopropanol (2:1), and acetone/dimethylacetamide (DMAc) (2:1) solutions. The effect of CA concentration and flow rate was evaluated in acetone/DMAc (2:1) solution. The morphology of electrospun CA mats was impacted by solvent system, polymer concentration, and solution flow rate. Fibers produced from acetone and the mixture of acetone/isopropanol (2:1) exhibited a ribbon structure, while acetone/DMAc (2:1) system produced the common cylindrical fiber shape. It was determined that the electrospinning of 17 % CA solution in acetone/DMAc (2:1, w/w) produced fibers with an average fiber diameter in the submicron range and the lowest size distribution among the solvents tested. The solution flow rate had a power law relationship of 0.26 with the CA fiber size for 17 % CA in acetone/DMAc (2:1). Solvent composition and flow rate also impacted the stability of the network structure of the electrospun fibers. Only samples from acetone/DMAc (2:1) at solution flow rates equal or higher than 1 mL/h produced fibrous meshes that were able to preserve their original network structure after deacetylation. These samples after regeneration showed no residual DMAc and exhibited no cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells.
Article
Full-text available
The essence of tissue engineering is the fabrication of autologous cells or induced stem cells in naturally derived or synthetic scaffolds to form specific tissues. Polymer is thought as an appealing source of cell-seeded scaffold owing to the diversity of its physicochemical property and can be electrospun into nano-size to mimic natural structure. Poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are both excellent aliphatic polyester with almost "opposite" characteristics. The controlling combination of PLLA and PCL provides varying properties and makes diverse applications. Compared with the copolymers of the same components, PLLA/PCL blend demonstrates its potential in regenerative medicine as a simple, efficient and scalable alternative. In this study, we electrospun PLLA/PCL blends of different weight ratios into nanofibrous scaffolds (NFS) and their properties were detected including morphology, porosity, degradation, ATR-FTIR analysis, stress-stain assay, and inflammatory reaction. To explore the biocompatibility of the NFS we synthesized, human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) were used to evaluate proliferation, attachment, viability and multi-lineage differentiation. In conclusion, the electrospun PLLA/PCL blend nanofibrous scaffold with the indicated weight ratios all supported hASCs well. However, the NFS of 1/1 weight ratio showed better properties and cellular responses in all assessments, implying it a biocompatible scaffold for tissue engineering.
Article
The aim of this work was to prepare the scaffolds of pure poly (L-lactic acid) 3% (w/v), pure chitosan 3% (w/v), and PLLA/chitosan blend (1:5) 3% (w/v) using TIPS method and investigate their properties and application in tissue engineering. An in vitro degradation study of scaffolds showed the addition of chitosan to PLLA not only increased its degradation rate, but also slowed down its pH value reduction. Addition of chitosan to PLLA increased hydrophilicity, porosity, compressive properties, and cell viability of the scaffolds. The results indicate that among all scaffolds, the most appropriate candidate for tissue engineering is PLLA/chitosan blend.
Article
Cellulose and its derivatives have been successfully employed as biomaterials in various applications, including dialysis membranes, diffusion-limiting membranes in biosensors, in vitro hollow fibers perfusion systems, surfaces for cell expansion, etc. In this study, we tested the potential of cellulose acetate (CA) and regenerated cellulose (RC) scaffolds for growing functional cardiac cell constructs in culture. Specifically, we demonstrate that CA and RC surfaces are promoting cardiac cell growth, enhancing cell connectivity (gap junctions) and electrical functionality. Being optically clear and essentially non-autofluorescent, CA scaffolds did not interfere with functional optical measurements in the cell constructs. Molding to follow fine details or complex three-dimensional shapes are additional important characteristics for scaffold design in tissue engineering. Biodegradability can be controlled by hydrolysis, de-acetylization of CA and cytocompatible enzyme (cellulase) action, with glucose as a final product. Culturing of cardiac cells and growth of tissue-like cardiac constructs in vitro could benefit from the versatility and accessibility of cellulose scaffolds, combining good adhesion (comparable to the standard tissue-culture treated polystyrene), molding capabilities down to the nanoscale (comparable to the current favorite in soft lithography—polydimethylsiloxane) with controlled biodegradability.