Effect of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles on Properties of Keratin/Poly Caprolactone Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering

In this research, keratin (Kr)/ poly caprolactone (PCL)/ hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold was made by electrospinning method. Then, the effect of HA nanoparticles on properties of scaffold B (Kr 33%, PCL 50% and HA 17%) and scaffold A (Kr 40% and PCL 60%) were studied. The surface morphology, functional groups on the surface of samples, porosity, and specific surface area were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR), liquid displacement method, and BET test, respectively. The mean diameter of fibers in samples A and B was measured 184 nm and 108 nm, respectively. Results showed that the specific surface area in scaffolds with HA nanoparticles was almost 2 times higher than that of the scaffold without HA. The biodegradability of scaffolds was examined in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and the results showed an increase in the weight loss percentage of the scaffold B. The cell viability and adherence of osteosarcoma cell line (Saos-2) on the scaffold surface was observed via MTT assay and the results showed an increase in cell growth on PCL/Kr scaffolds with HA nanoparticles. Thus, scaffolds containing HA nanoparticles can be a good choice for tissue engineering applications.