Cellular response of silk fibroin nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles In vitro

Recent advances of silk fibroin materials: From molecular modification and matrix enhancement to possible encapsulation-related functional food applications

Silk fibroin materials are emergingly explored for food applications due to their inherent properties including safe oral consumption, biocompatibility, gelatinization, antioxidant performance, and mechanical properties. However, silk fibroin possesses drawbacks like brittleness owing to its inherent specific composition and structure, which limit their applications in this field. This review discusses current progress about molecular modification methods on silk fibroin such as extraction, blending, self-assembly, enzymatic catalysis, etc., to address these limitations and improve their physical/chemical properties. It also summarizes matrix enhancement strategies including freeze drying, spray drying, electrospinning/electrospraying, microfluidic spinning/wheel spinning, desolvation and supercritical fluid, to generate nano-, submicron-, micron-, or bulk-scale materials. It finally highlights the food applications of silk fibroin materials, including nutraceutical improvement, emulsions, enzyme immobilization and 3D/4D printing. This review also provides insights on potential opportunities (like safe modification, toxicity risk evaluation, and digestion conditions) and possibilities (like digital additive manufacturing) in functional food industry.

Silk fibroin-derived electrospun materials for biomedical applications: A review

Electrospinning is a versatile technique for fabricating polymeric fibers with diameters ranging from micro- to nanoscale, exhibiting multiple morphologies and arrangements. By combining silk fibroin (SF) with synthetic and/or natural polymers, electrospun materials with outstanding biological, chemical, electrical, physical, mechanical, and optical properties can be achieved, fulfilling the evolving biomedical demands. This review highlights the remarkable versatility of SF-derived electrospun materials, specifically focusing on their application in tissue regeneration (including cartilage, cornea, nerves, blood vessels, bones, and skin), disease treatment (such as cancer and diabetes), and the development of controlled drug delivery systems. Additionally, we explore the potential future trends in utilizing these nanofibrous materials for creating intelligent biomaterials, incorporating biosensors and wearable sensors for monitoring human health, and also discuss the bottlenecks for its widespread use. This comprehensive overview illuminates the significant impact and exciting prospects of SF-derived electrospun materials in advancing biomedical research and applications.

Design of Novel Perovskite-Based Polymeric Poly(l-Lactide-Co-Glycolide) Nanofibers with Anti-Microbial Properties for Tissue Engineering

There is a growing need for anti-microbial materials in several biomedical application areas, such are hernia, skin grafts as well as gynecological products, owing to the complications caused by infection due to surgical biomaterials. The anti-microbial effects of silver in the form of nanoparticles, although effective, can be toxic to surrounding cells. In this study, we report, for the first time, a novel biomedical application of Ag_0.3Na_1.7La₂Ti₃O₁₀-layered perovskite particles, blended with poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), aimed at designing anti-microbial and tissue engineering scaffolds. The perovskite was incorporated in three concentrations of 1, 5, 10 and 15 w/w% and electrospun using dimethylformamide (DMF) and chloroform. The morphology of the resultant nanofibers revealed fiber diameters in the range of 408 to 610 nm by scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical properties of perovskite-based nanofibers also matched similar mechanical properties to human skin. We observed impressive anti-microbial activity, against Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria and even fungi, to Ag_0.3Na_1.7La₂Ti₃O₁₀ in powder as well as nanofiber-incorporated forms. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assay and immunocytochemistry revealed that perovskite-based nanofibers promoted the proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts whist maintaining normal cellular protein expression. Our study shows that perovskite-nanofibers have potential as scaffolds for biomedical applications with anti-microbial needs.

Preparation of Nanofibers with Renewable Polymers and Their Application in Wound Dressing

Renewable polymers have attracted considerable attentions in the last two decades, predominantly due to their environmentally friendly properties, renewability, good biocompatibility, biodegradability, bioactivity, and modifiability. The nanofibers prepared from the renewable polymers can combine the excellent properties of the renewable polymer and nanofiber, such as high specific surface area, high porosity, excellent performances in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and the analogous physical properties of extracellular matrix. They have been widely used in the fields of wound dressing to promote the wound healing, hemostasis, skin regeneration, and treatment of diabetic ulcers. In the present review, the different methods to prepare the nanofibers from the renewable polymers were introduced. Then the recent progress on preparation and properties of the nanofibers from different renewable polymers or their composites were reviewed; the application of them in the fields of wound dressing was emphasized.