Polysaccharide-based nanofibrous membranes as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

The evaluation of nanofibrous membranes based on polymeric blends of carboxymethyl-cellulose/silver-nanoparticle (CMC-AgNP) composite and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications is reported. The membranes were prepared using a method that involved the synthesis of CMC-AgNP composite, followed by the preparation of polymeric blends with PVA and their electrospinning. According to our experimental results, the mean diameter of the nanofibers decreases from 335.8 to 210.1 nm as the weight content of CMC-AgNP in the polymeric blends increases. This variation in the mean diameter of the nanofibers is related to the increase of the viscosity, from 221.8 to 410 mPa.s, and conductivity, from 1.1 to 2.9 mS/cm, of the electrospun blends. In addition, we observed that the CMC and PVA molecules interact through either acetal bridges or hydrogen bonds. These interactions, along with the variation in the mean diameter of the nanofibers, modify the tensile strength, strain at break and Young's modulus of the CMC-AgNP/PVA membranes. Specifically, the stiffness of the membranes is enhanced as the weight content of CMC-AgNP increases, resulting in appropriate mechanical properties for their application as tissue engineering scaffolds. Likewise, we detected that the proliferation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on the surface of the membranes is avoided. Moreover, these membranes do not induce significant toxicity in Schwann cell cultures even after 5 days of incubation. Furthermore, they provide a suitable environment for the cell anchoring and proliferation, suggesting that the nanofibrous CMC-AgNP/PVA membranes could be utilized as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Automated summary

This study evaluated nanofibrous membranes based on polymeric blends of carboxymethyl-cellulose/silver-nanoparticle (CMC-AgNP) composite and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. The mean diameter of the nanofibers decreased as the weight content of CMC-AgNP in the polymeric blends increased. The interaction between CMC and PVA molecules, as well as the variation in nanofiber diameter, modified the mechanical properties of the membranes and prevented bacterial proliferation.