The development of scaffold materials, such as nanoporous and nanofibrous hydrogel for biomedical applications, using green processes is a desirable approach.
Natural biopolymers have been utilized for wound dressing, owing to their bioactive compounds content, mechanical properties, biodegradability, porosity, and proper surface chemistry.
What is Silk Waste?
Silk waste includes different types of raw silks that are unwindable. Even though the composition of silk waste is very much similar to that of good silk, it cannot be utilized for the production of silk textiles.
Typically, silk waste is composed of silk fibroin (SF) core polymer (75−83%) and a sericin glue-like protein as a coating (17−25%).
SF is a natural protein of semi-crystalline structure which provides robust stiffness and impressive strength to silk.
SF has been utilized in various healthcare and biomedical products because of its biodegradability, good mechanical property, biocompatibility with human tissue, flexible morphology, drug permeability, antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties, and nontoxicity.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SF protein from Bombyx mori silkworm for biomedical purposes.
Production of Polymeric Nanofibers by Electrospinning Method
Electrospinning is one of the most popular, simple, and scalable techniques used for producing polymeric nanofibers used for wound dressing.
Scientists have found that binary blends of SF with other materials enhance the properties of resultant scaffolds, due to the synergistic influence of both components.
Interestingly, the physiochemical properties of nanofibers can be controlled by optimizing the electrospinning parameters to attain the requirements of specific applications.
Typically, organic solvents are used in the electrospinning process due to their high dipole moment, conductivity, dielectric constant, and low surface tension. However, the majority of the organic solvents, such as dichloromethane, formic acid, and hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP), are toxic.
Very few reports are available on the production of SF nanofiber materials via electrospinning process based on SF/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and SF/ poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in water and water/methanol systems.
However, scientists reported that the fabricated SF nanofibers are sensitive to moisture and can dissolve in the biological system before utilization.
Development of Strong Silk-Fibroin/Poly(ethylene oxide) Non-woven Nanofibers – A New Study
Generally, electrospun processes require some additives to stabilize the nanofibers after their synthesis. However, previous studies have indicated that these additives account for biological risks when used for biomedical purposes.
The new study reported on the development of an additive-free system that involves partial evaporation of the initial solving agent, which is followed by methanolic treatment to enhance the structural morphology.
The additive-free system also aids in improving the mechanical properties of the fabricated nanofibers.
Cross-linking techniques enable the nanofibrous materials to maintain the porosity and stability of the structure.
The radiation-induced crosslinking technique is known to be a green process for the production of hydrogel or scaffold. This is because the entire process, i.e., from the sample preparation to processing, is performed under liquid or solid-state.
The irradiation method utilizes γ-rays or electron beams (EBs) for sterilization of biomedical materials and production hydrogels with wide-ranging applications.
In the new study, scientists explored a dual green route to obtain strengthened SF-based nonwoven nanofibers using pure water for electrospinning and EB-assisted cross-linking technique.
For the fabrication of SF-PEO nanofibers, scientists primarily optimized the electrospinning process using SF/poly(PEO) in a pure water solution for the production of non-woven nanofibers.
Secondly, they focussed on stabilizing the dissoluble SF/ PEO non-woven nanofibers via cross-linking networks developed by a free radical reaction using EB irradiation.
Scientists revealed that this newly designed process lead to the production of cylindrical-shaped, smooth, and elongated SF-PEO nanofibers with a diameter of 169 ± 5 nm, under moderate conditions.
To achieve maximum stability in the fabricated nanofibers, the authors optimized the EB irradiation dose to be 25 kGy for cross-linking, and ~50% gel fraction.
The optimized conditions significantly improved the mechanical properties of the SF/PEO nanofiber.
The tensile strength and elongation at break were augmented and the ductility was increased approximately 22-fold.
Benefits of Silk-Fibroin/Poly(ethylene oxide) Non-woven Nanofibers
The authors reported that cross-linked SF/PEO nanofibers supported cell proliferation and were found to be non-toxic to skin fibroblast cells.
This strongly implies that this nanofiber material could be used for healthcare and biomedical purposes.
One of the important contributions of this study has been the utilization of the 3G strategy, i.e., green electrospinning, green EB irradiation process, and green renewable polymers (silk waste), for the production of non-toxic, strong, stable nanofibers, ideal for wound dressings.
Additionally, the swelling and water absorption property of the SF-PEO nanofiber could be utilized for drug entrapment and controlled release application.
News
Millions May Have Long COVID – So Why Can’t They Get Diagnosed?
Millions of people in England may be living with Long Covid without even realizing it. A large-scale analysis found that nearly 10% suspect they might have the condition but remain uncertain, often due to [...]
Researchers Reveal What Happens to Your Brain When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
What if poor sleep was doing more than just making you tired? Researchers have discovered that disrupted sleep in older adults interferes with the brain’s ability to clean out waste, leading to memory problems [...]
How to prevent chronic inflammation from zombie-like cells that accumulate with age
In humans and other multicellular organisms, cells multiply. This defining feature allows embryos to grow into adulthood, and enables the healing of the many bumps, bruises and scrapes along the way. Certain factors can [...]
Breakthrough for long Covid patients who lost sense of smell
A breakthrough nasal surgery has restored the sense of smell for a dozen long Covid patients. Experts at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust successfully employed a technique typically used for correcting blocked nasal passages, [...]
Scientists Invent Plastic That Can Dissolve In Seawater In Just A Few Hours
Plastic waste and pollution in the sea have been among the most serious environmental problems for decades, causing immense damage to marine life and ecosystems. However, a breakthrough discovery may offer a game-changing solution. [...]
Muscles from the 3D printer
Swiss researchers have developed a method for printing artificial muscles out of silicone. In the future, these could be used on both humans and robots. Swiss researchers have succeeded in printing artificial muscles out [...]
Beneficial genetic changes observed in regular blood donors
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have identified genetic changes in blood stem cells from frequent blood donors that support the production of new, non-cancerous cells. Understanding the differences in the mutations that accumulate [...]
Shocking Amounts of Microplastics in the Brain – It Could Be Increasing Our Risk of Dementia
The brain has higher concentrations of plastic particles compared to other organs, with increased levels found in dementia patients. In a comprehensive commentary published in Brain Medicine, researchers highlight alarming new evidence of microplastic accumulation [...]
Baffling Scientists for Centuries: New Study Unravels Mystery of Static Electricity
ISTA physicists demonstrate that contact electrification depends on the contact history of materials. For centuries, static electricity has intrigued and perplexed scientists. Now, researchers from the Waitukaitis group at the Institute of Science and [...]
Tumor “Stickiness” – Scientists Develop Potential New Way To Predict Cancer’s Spread
UC San Diego researchers have developed a device that predicts breast cancer aggressiveness by measuring tumor cell adhesion. Weakly adherent cells indicate a higher risk of metastasis, especially in early-stage DCIS. This innovation could [...]
Scientists Just Watched Atoms Move for the First Time Using AI
Scientists have developed a groundbreaking AI-driven technique that reveals the hidden movements of nanoparticles, essential in materials science, pharmaceuticals, and electronics. By integrating artificial intelligence with electron microscopy, researchers can now visualize atomic-level changes that were [...]
Scientists Sound Alarm: “Safe” Antibiotic Has Led to an Almost Untreatable Superbug
A recent study reveals that an antibiotic used for liver disease patients may increase their risk of contracting a dangerous superbug. An international team of researchers has discovered that rifaximin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic [...]
Scientists Discover Natural Compound That Stops Cancer Progression
A discovery led by OHSU was made possible by years of study conducted by University of Portland undergraduates. Scientists have discovered a natural compound that can halt a key process involved in the progression [...]
Scientists Just Discovered an RNA That Repairs DNA Damage – And It’s a Game-Changer
Our DNA is constantly under threat — from cell division errors to external factors like sunlight and smoking. Fortunately, cells have intricate repair mechanisms to counteract this damage. Scientists have uncovered a surprising role played by [...]
What Scientists Just Discovered About COVID-19’s Hidden Death Toll
COVID-19 didn’t just claim lives directly—it reshaped mortality patterns worldwide. A major international study found that life expectancy plummeted across most of the 24 analyzed countries, with additional deaths from cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, and mental [...]
Self-Propelled Nanoparticles Improve Immunotherapy for Non-Invasive Bladder Cancer
A study led by Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in South Korea details the creation of urea-powered nanomotors that enhance immunotherapy for bladder cancer. The nanomotors [...]
