Novel biocompatible zinc-curcumin loaded coaxial nanofibers for bone tissue engineering application

Combining biocompatible polymers and bioactive molecules, holds promising potential as a bone substitute due to its favorable osteoinductivity. In the present study, graphene oxide (GO) and Zn-Curcumin complex (Zn-CUR) as a bioactive biomolecule were loaded into coaxial electrospun nanofibers, and the capacity of the Zn-CUR scaffolds was investigated for bone regeneration. The electrospun nanofiber scaffolds were characterized by SEM, TEM, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The SEM and TEM observations showed defect-free uniform coaxial nanofibers with about 153 nm diameter. The potential of the composite nanofibers as bone tissue scaffolds in terms of their biocompatibility and bioactivity were evaluated by MTT assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and alizarin red S (ARS) staining. Cellular morphology and MTT assay demonstrated that Zn-CUR containing nanofibers supplied better support cellular adhesion, spreading, and proliferation in comparison with drug-free nanofibers. Moreover, the addition of Zn-CUR complex to scaffolds increased ALP activity and the production of matrix mineralization. The Zn-CUR complex not only enhanced the osteogenic performance but also have an excellent antibacterial activity and therefore reduced postoperative infection. Overall, our study showed that the novel Zn-CUR composite nanofibers with enhanced osteogenic capacity and cytocompatibility offer a promising approach for bone tissue engineering. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.