Thoroughly Hydrophilized Electrospun Poly(L-Lactide)/ Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Sponges for Tissue Engineering Application.

Biodegradable electrospun sponges are of interest for various applications including tissue engineering, drug release, dental therapy, plant protection, and plant fertilization. Biodegradable electrospun poly (L-lactide)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLLA/PCL) blend fiber-based sponge with hierarchical pore structure is inherently hydrophobic, which is disadvantageous for application in tissue engineering, fertilization, and drug delivery. We report contact angles and model studies for staining with a hydrophilic dye for untreated, plasma-treated, and surfactant treated PLLA/PCL sponges. Thorough hydrophilization of PLLA/PCL sponges was found only with the surfactant treated sponges. The MTT assay on the leachates from the sponges did not indicate any cell incompatibility. Furthermore, the cell proliferation and penetration of the hydrophilized sponges were verified by in vitro cell culture studies using MG63 and human fibroblast cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.