Evaluation of electrospun nanofibers fabricated using PCL/PVP and PVA/β-TCP as potential scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

In order to create a perfect bone scaffold, nanocomposites are the best options, as they can be engineered to have the composition, structure and properties of natural bone. In the present study, the layer-by-layer and hybrid nanofiber scaffold are fabricated by electrospinning method using a combination of PCL/PVP and PVA/β-TCP layers. We study and compare the morphological properties (scanning electron microscope (SEM), swelling ratio and porosity), mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break and tensile modulus) and biodegradability of the scaffolds. The average fiber diameter measured for layer-by-layer and hybrid scaffolds is 446 ± 128 nm and 505 ± 261 nm, respectively. The tensile strength for the layer-by-layer and hybrid scaffolds is 7.40 ± 3.40 MPa and 6.57 ± 1.64 MPa, respectively, and the degradation rate for layer-by-layer and hybrid scaffolds is 26 ± 2% and 40 ± 5%, respectively. So the results show the desired mechanical properties and compatibility of scaffolds. The (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay shows cell viability above 80% and absence of cell cytotoxicity for layer-by-layer and hybrid scaffolds after 3, 5 and 7 days of rat marrow stromal cell (rMSC) culture. The morphology and proliferation of rMSC cells show the suitability of the scaffolds for tissue engineering application. Therefore, both types of scaffolds can be used in several tissue engineering applications, including improvement of bone tissue regeneration.