Preparation and Investigation of Thermally Annealed Zein–Propolis Electrospun Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience 2023-05, Vol.23 (5), p.e2200524-n/a
• Main Authors: Hochheim, Sabrina, Sampaio, Naiara M. F. M., da Cruz, Anderson Fraga, del Mercato, Loretta L., D'Amone, Eliana, da Silva, Bruno José Gonçalves, Saul, Cyro Ketzer, Oliveira, Carolina Camargo, Riegel‐Vidotti, Izabel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Annealing; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Cytotoxicity; Dispersions; Drug delivery; Drug Delivery Systems; DSC; electrospinning; Fibers; Fibroblasts; Hydrophobicity; Nanofibers; Nanofibers - chemistry; Physicochemical properties; Propolis; Propolis - chemistry; release; Scaffolds; Surface tension; Tissue engineering; Tissue Engineering - methods; Toxicity; Wound healing; Zein; Zein - chemistry
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202200524

Zein, a corn‐derived protein, has a variety of applications ranging from drug delivery to tissue engineering and wound healing. This work aims to develop a biocompatible scaffold for dermal applications based on thermally annealed electrospun propolis‐loaded zein nanofibers. Pristine fibers' biocompatibility is determined in vitro. Next, propolis from Melipona quadrifasciata is added to the fibers at different concentrations (5% to 25%), and the scaffolds are studied. The physicochemical properties of zein/propolis precursor dispersions are evaluated and the results are correlated to the fibers' properties. Due to zein's and propolis' very favorable interactions, which are responsible for the increase in the dispersions surface tension, nanometric size ribbon‐like fibers ranging from 420 to 575 nm are obtained. The fiber's hydrophobicity is not dependent on propolis concentration and increases with the annealing procedure. Propolis inhibitory concentration (IC50) is determined as 61.78 µg mL−1. When loaded into fibers, propolis is gradually delivered to cells as Balb/3T3 fibroblasts and are able to adhere, grow, and interact with pristine and propolis‐loaded fibers, and cytotoxicity is not observed. Therefore, the zein–propolis nanofibers are considered biocompatible and safe. The results are promising and provide prospects for the development of wound‐healing nanofiber patches—one of propolis' main applications. Nanofibers are a promising material that can facilitate the wound‐healing process. Propolis‐loaded nanofibers are developed using a totally green method. A complete physical–chemical investigation is carried out and a mechanism of interaction between fibers and skin‐derived cells is proposed. This new material can prospect the development of wound‐healing nanofiber patches.