Fabrication and characterization of tailor-made novel electrospun fibrous polyurethane scaffolds decorated with propolis and neem oil for tissue engineering applications

Recently, textile technologies have gained a huge attention for fabricating the tissue constructs. In tissue engineering, the development of biodegradable polymer scaffolds which resemble the native function of the extra cellular matrix is a great challenge. In this research, a novel electrospun scaffold based on polyurethane, propolis and neem oil was developed for tissue-engineering applications through textile technology like electrospinning. The morphology of the electrospun polyurethane/propolis and polyurethane/propolis/neem oil exhibited reduced fibre and pore diameter than the pristine polyurethane. The change in the chemical structure of the electrospun composites was identified by peak shifting of CH band peak with hydrogen bond formation.The contact angle measurements revealed that the PU/propolis mat was found to be super hydrophilic (0°) in nature and the electrospun polyurethane/propolis/neem oil mat was observed to be hydrophilic (41° ± 1) in nature. Thermogravimetric analysis and atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the prepared polyurethane/propolis and polyurethane/propolis/neem oil mats exhibited higher thermal stability and decreased surface roughness than the pristine polyurethane. Moreover, the developed polyurethane/propolis (activated partial thromboplastin time – 144 ± 4 s and prothrombin time – 85 ± 3 s) and polyurethane/propolis/neem oil (activated partial thromboplastin time – 147 ± 3 s and prothrombin time – 86 ± 2 s) composite displayed decreased blood clotting time than the pristine polyurethane (activated partial thromboplastin time – 153 ± 3 s and prothrombin time – 89 ± 3 s). The results of the haemolytic assay indicated that the electrospun polyurethane/propolis (1.21%) and polyurethane/propolis/neem oil (1.30%) mats exhibited better safety to red blood cells than the pristine polyurethane (2.48%). Hence, these desirable characteristics of the newly developed scaffold might be used as a potential platform for tissue engineering applications.