Preparation of Polyvinyl alcohol/Alginate Fibrous Scaffolds Containing Vitamin D3 for Bone Tissue Engineering

Electrospinning has been widely utilized for preparation of tissue engineering scaffolds. A variety of polymers were used to fabricate a suitable scaffold for bone tissue engineering. In the present study, polyvinyl alcohol/alginate/vitamin D3 (PVA/Alg/VD3) fibers were prepared by electrospinning method. Different ratios of PVA/Alg were considered. PVA/Alg aqueous solutions with ratios of 100/0, 80/20, and 70/30 were prepared in distilled water. Characterization of fiber structures was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, tensile strength, and MTT assay. The SEM images showed that fibers were uniform with mean diameter in the range of 150-250nm. The results of contact angle measurements showed that incorporation of VD3 in the scaffold increased wettability of the surface. This effect is attributed to the intermolecular hydrophobic interactions between polymers and VD3. Thus, hydrophilic functional groups presented on the surface of the fibers and decreased the water contact angle. MTT assay showed that the prepared scaffolds were not cytotoxic and the proliferation of MG63 cells was improved in the PVA/Alg/VD3 fibers in contrast to the PVA/Alg fibers. According to the results, PVA/Alg/VD3 fibers could be good candidates for bone tissue engineering applications

Keywords:

Electrospinning , PVA , Vitamin D3 , Alginate , Scaffold , Bone