Evaluation of the effects of keratin on physical, mechanical and biological properties of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) electrospun scaffold: Potential application in bone tissue engineering

Proper selection of materials and methods of construction are important factors in scaffolding in tissue engineering. In this research, a novel biomimetic scaffold containing poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and keratin (5-15 wt. %) was prepared by the electrospinning method. The results showed that all electrospun scaffolds have 3D structures with high interconnected porosity and hydrophilicity. FTIR, Raman and H-1-NMR indicated the presence of keratin in electrospun scaffolds and the hydrogen bond between the two polymers. Crystallinity of the scaffolds, which was measured by DSC and verified by XRD, demonstrated that the presence of keratin reduces the crystallinity and improves the thermal behavior of scaffolds. According to the mechanical evaluation, by adding up to 10 wt. % of keratin, tensile strength of scaffolds is increased from 2.29 to 2.92 Mpa, respectively. In vitro degradation of the scaffolds was increased by the presence of keratin. Cell culture of the MG63 revealed that viability, proliferation and ALP secretion are significantly increased by adding keratin to the scaffolds. The proper properties of PHB-10 k electrospun scaffold made it a promising alternative biomaterial for bone tissue engineering applications.