In vitro mineralization of hydroxyapatite on electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone)–poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(ɛ-caprolactone) fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering application

In this study, a fibrous scaffold was prepared by electrospinning triblock PCL–PEG–PCL (PCEC) copolymer. Afterwards, in vitro biomimetic mineralization was carried out through incubation of the PCEC fibrous mats in a simulated body fluid (SBF) for different time. The apatite-deposited PCEC composite scaffolds were characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and weighing. Due to the importance of biocompatibility, rat ROS 17/2.8 osteoblasts were cultured on mineralized PCEC scaffolds, and the cell proliferation was investigated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. The obtained results confirmed that the deposited apatite had the chemical composition and crystalline phase similar to those of hydroxyapatite (HA). After 21 days incubation, the mass increase of PCEC scaffold reached up to 22%. Moreover, in vitro cell culture also confirmed that osteoblasts could attach on the mineralized composite scaffolds, and the HA-deposited PCEC mats had less cytotoxicity. So, the mineralized PCEC composite scaffolds had a great potential for tissue engineering application.

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► In this work, the PCL–PEG–PCL fibrous mats composed of micro- or nano-fibers were fabricated by electrospinning technology.
► Hydroxyapatite deposited on PCEC scaffolds was carried out by immersion in SBF. The whole process is easy-handling and environmental friendly.
► The mineralized PCEC composite scaffolds have good cell attachment and less cytotoxicity.
► The formation of hydroxyapatite has contributed to the improvement of mechanical strength and biocompatibility of composite scaffold.