On the evaluation of polysaccharide–based nanofibrous membranes as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Abstract The evaluation of nanofibrous membranes based on polymeric blends of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and the composite carboxymethyl-cellulose/silver-nanoparticles (CMC-AgNPs) as suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications is reported. The nanofibrous membranes were obtained following a methodology that involves the synthesis of the CMC-AgNPs composite, preparation of aqueous polymeric blends with PVA and their electrospinning. The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and uniaxial tensile assays. The antibacterial activity of the nanofibrous membranes was evaluated against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria using the direct contact test. The cell viability of the membranes was assessed using Schwann cells as model from MTT assays. The experimental evidence indicates that the mean diameter of the nanofibers decreases as the weight content of CMC-AgNPs increases. This is related with the interactions among CMC and PVA molecules, which occurs through either acetal or hydrogen bridges. The increase of CMC-AgNPs weight content also modifies the stiffness of the membranes, which results in appropriate mechanical properties for its application as tissue engineering scaffolds. Moreover, it was found that proliferation of both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria on their surface is avoided. Nonetheless, according to the cell viability assays, the membranes do not induce significant toxicity to the biological test media even after 5 days of incubation. Furthermore, they seem to provide an adequate environment for the cell proliferation, suggesting that the synthesized membranes could be applied as scaffolds for tissue engineering.