Preparation and characterization of electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid)-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) and poly(caprolactone)-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) fibers as potential scaffolds for skin regeneration

Tissue engineered scaffold mimics the structure and function of native extracellular matrix proteins. Electrospinning is a simple and versatile method to produce ultrathin extracellular matrix mimicking fibers for tissue engineering. Blended fibers of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid)-Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) and Poly(caprolactone)-Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) were electrospun using 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluoro-2- propanaol as solvent. The resultant fibers were tested and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Attenuated total refelection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. The fibrous scaffolds were found to exhibit good tensile strength and proved the stability of fibers for tissue engineering applications. The fibrous scaffold supported the growth and rapid proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes with normal morphology thus proving its reliability in using it as a potential scaffold for skin regeneration. � 2013 American Scientific Publishers, All rights reserved.