Production and hemocompatibility assessment of novel electrospun polyurethane nanofibers loaded with dietary virgin coconut oil for vascular graft applications

Abstract

To develop biodegradable polymer scaffolds suitable for vascular tissue engineering applications, the bioengineering community has invested an extensive effort. The most common cause for the failure of vascular graft scaffolds is thrombosis. In this work, the scaffold based on polyurethane and virgin coconut oil was produced by electrospinning process for vascular tissue engineering applications with improved antithrombogenicity. The diameter of this electrospun polyurethane/virgin coconut oil composite was found to be reduced in the range of 886 ± 207 nm compared to pristine polyurethane which was in the range of 969 ± 217 nm. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed the interaction between polyurethane and virgin coconut oil as indicated by phase shifting of CH bond along with the formation of hydrogen bond. The contact angle measurement of fabricated composites was found to be increased owing to hydrophobic nature and also exhibited enhanced thermal stability as noted in thermogravimetric analysis. The atomic force microscopy analysis insinuated the increased surface roughness of the composite in comparison with the pure polyurethane. Developed scaffold resulted in delayed blood clotting as revealed by activated partial thromboplastin time and partial thromboplastin time assay. The hemolytic index of fabricated composites was found to be low indicating the enhanced safety of red blood cells. Hence, the newly developed nanofibrous composite scaffold could open the door for a suitable alternative for vascular graft applications.