In vitro biocompatibility study of keratin/agar scaffold for tissue engineering

The porous scaffold was fabricated from a binary blend of keratin/agar for tissue engineering. The miscibility of keratin and agar polymers into their blend was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer study. The scaffold fabricated from freeze extraction method resulted in a porous interconnected structure with apparent porosity 94.40 ± 2.34%. Scanning electron microscopy study reveals the presence of interconnected pores with a pore size ranges from 50 to 300 μm. The hydrophilic nature of the scaffold was confirmed by water retention capacity studies, which was observed 160 ± 7.89%. The scaffold's tensile strength of 0.154 ± 0.031 MPa and percent of elongation at break with 16.33 ± 2.52% justify its mechanical capability. The positive antimicrobial property and in vitro degradation was recorded for the fabricated scaffold. The in vitro biocompatibility study of the scaffolds confirms the attachment and proliferation of the cultured mammalian myofibroblast cell line. Negative cytotoxicity and a viable cell growth ensure that the fabricated scaffold can serve a potential source of biomaterial for tissue engineering and can be applicable for wound healing and skin regeneration.