Preparation and characterization of Antheraea assama silk fibroin based novel non‐woven scaffold for tissue engineering applications

The quest for novel materials as scaffolds with suitable micro‐architecture for supporting tissue neogenesis in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) is continuing. In this paper we report an Antheraea assama silk‐based non‐woven fibroin scaffold for applications in TERM. The novel three‐dimensional scaffold is highly interconnected and porous, with a pore size of 150 µm, porosity of 90% and water uptake capacity of 85%. FTIR revealed a typical β‐sheet structure of fibroin. The scaffold has thermal and mechanical properties superior to those of Bombyx mori, as revealed by DSC, TGA and tensile tests. The scaffold exhibited satisfactory blood compatibility, as determined by thrombogenicity, haemolysis, platelet/leukocyte count, platelet adhesion and protein adsorption studies. The scaffold was found to be cytocompatible with human cell lines A549, KB, HepG2 and HeLa for a period of up to 4 weeks. SEM analysis revealed excellent attachment, spreading and migration of cells in the scaffold. MTT assay was performed to estimate the viability and growth of cells in the matrix. Quantification of collagen in cell–scaffold constructs was done by picro‐Sirius red assay. Ex ovo chorioallantoic membrane assay and nitric oxide estimations in spent culture medium showed the scaffold's ability to promote angiogenesis. Finally, the biodegradability of the scaffold was determined by the weight loss observed upon treatment with trypsin over a period of 4 weeks. The results reveal that the fibroin from A. assama is a promising candidate as a biocompatible, biomimetic and biodegradable biomaterial of natural origin for applications in TERM. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.