Application of phytic-acid as an in-situ crosslinking agent in electrospun gelatin-based scaffolds for skin tissue engineering

Phytic-acid (PA), in addition to antioxidant and anti-cancer effects, can be considered as a natural crosslinker to improve mechanical properties of gelatin(Ge)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds with no toxicity. PA, which is an abundant and naturally available crosslinker, can be an appropriate alternative for costly natural crosslinkers such as genipin for gelatin-based scaffolds. In this study, the mixture of polymers (Ge/PCL: 60/40), containing different ratios of PA, were electrospun. The ability of PA in crosslinking gelatin has been investigated by FTIR, XRD, and DSC where the successful crosslinking process was proved. SEM, porosity, and toxicity tests revealed that fabricated scaffolds could be appropriate options for skin tissue engineering. To evaluate mechanical stabilities, Young's modulus, ultimate strength, and breaking strain of scaffolds have been measured to show a significant elevation of mechanical parameters upon crosslinking. According to results, the optimum amount of PA (7.5%) could increase Young's modulus and breaking strain significantly with non-toxicity effects. Consequently, PA can be applied as an in-situ crosslinker for gelatin-based nanocomposites for manufacturing skin tissue scaffolds. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.