Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vol.182, No.2, 624-634, 2017
Encapsulation of beta-Sitosterol in Polyurethane by Sol-Gel Electrospinning
Pristine beta-sitosterol or in combination with other phytosterols is utilized in an array of enriched commercial foods. Considering the presence of beta-sitosterol in different functional foods and its potential role in prevention and cure of neurodegenerative diseases, the aims of our investigation were to encapsulate beta-sitosterol in nanofibers and to estimate influence of beta-sitosterol on proliferation of fibroblasts. Electrospun nanofibers have widely been used as scaffolds to mimic natural extracellular matrix. Herein, our group for the first time establishes an innovative scaffold based on beta-sitosterol and polyurethane using electrospinning. beta-Sitosterol promotes epithelialization and possesses anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, whereas polyurethane, besides possessing biomedical uses, also enhances epithelial growth. We optimized the concentration (5%) of beta-sitosterol in polyurethane to obtain homogenous solution, which can be spun without difficulty for the synthesis of beta-sitosterol amalgamated scaffold. The resulted twisted nanofibers have been characterized via scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The viability of cells on twisted scaffold was examined using NIH 3T3 fibroblasts as model cell line. Incorporation of beta-sitosterol in polyurethane changed the structure and size of nanofibers, and the twisted scaffolds were non-cytotoxic. Thus, the twisted nanoribbons, which contain anti-inflammatory beta-sitosterol, can be utilized as a promising future material, which will help to ease inflammation and also aid in wound healing. In conclusion, the outcome of the preliminary research evidently points out the potential of twisted scaffold in biomedical applications.