ABSTRACT
Electrospinning is an electrohydrodynamic technique that transforms a polymer solution into nano/microscopic diameter fibers under the influence of a high-voltage electric field. Its use in the fabrication of nano/micro fibrous membranes as scaffolds for tissue engineering has increased rapidly in recent years due to its efficiency and reproducibility. The objective of this study is to show how the use of the same polymeric solution (polycaprolactone 9% w/v in chloroform: isopropanol 50:50) and identical electrohydrodynamic deposition parameters produces fibers with different characteristics using a flat collector platform with movements in the X and Y axes vs. a conventional rotary collector. The manufactured nano/microfibers show significant differences in most of their characteristics (morphology, roughness, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties). Regarding the diameter and porosity of the fibers, the results were similar. Given that scaffolds must be designed to guarantee adequate survival and the proliferation and migration of a certain cell type, in this study we analyze how the variations in the characteristics of the fibers obtained are essential to defining their potential application.
ABSTRACT
Electrospinning technology is useful for making ultrafine drug-eluting fibers for the clinical treatment of wounds. We show the incorporation of an antimicrobial LfcinB-derived peptide into Pullulan nanofibers. The palindromic peptide LfcinB (21-25)Pal: RWQWRWQWR was synthesized, purified, and characterized by means of the RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS methods. The peptide's antibacterial activity against the E. coli ATCC 25922 strain was evaluated, and the peptide LfcinB (20-25)Pal exhibited significant antibacterial activity. Nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning a Pullulan or Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal solution. The obtained nanofibers were characterized via microscopy (AFM and SEM) and RP-HPLC chromatography. The peptide incorporation efficiency was 31%. The Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal nanofibers were soluble in water, and the peptide was liberated immediately. The Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal nanofibers exhibited the same antibacterial activity against E. coli strain as the free peptide LfcinB (21-25)Pal. The results suggest that Pullulan-LfcinB (21-25)Pal nanofibers could be considered for designing and developing antibacterial wound dressings.
ABSTRACT
La investigación en biomateriales que favorezcan la adhesión y regeneración de tejido óseo es una prioridad a nivel mundial debido a la alta incidencia de lesiones osteoarticulares, la morbilidad asociada al daño, su impacto en la calidad de vida y el alto costo económico y social de su manejo. El concepto de biomaterial ha cambiado en la medida que a la ciencia de materiales se han incorporado los avances en biología molecular, ingeniería de tejidos, nanotecnología e ingeniería de superficies. El trabajo multidisciplinario ha llevado al desarrollado de materiales con excelentes propiedades mecánicas, biomiméticos, inteligentes y funcionales que interactúan con las células y con los componentes de la matriz extracelular mejorando la respuesta biológica del tejido óseo ante el implante.
