For the creation of scaffolds in tissue engineering applications, it is essential to control the
physical morphology of fibres and to choose compositions which do not disturb normal
physiological function. Collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body, is a wellestablished
biopolymer used in electrospinning compositions. It shows high in-vivo stability
and is able to maintain a high biomechanical strength over time. In this study, the effects of
collagen type I in polylactic acid-drug electrospun scaffolds for tissue engineering
applications are examined. The samples produced were subsequently characterised using a
range of techniques. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that the fibre
morphologies varied across PLA-drug and PLA-collagen-drug samples – the addition of
collagen caused a decrease in average fibre diameter by nearly half, and produced
nanofibres. Atomic force microscopy imaging revealed collagen-banding patterns which
show the successful integration of collagen with PLA. Solid-state characterisation suggested
a chemical interaction between PLA and drug compounds, irgasan and levofloxacin, and the
collagen increased the amorphous regions within the samples. Surface energy analysis of
drug powders showed a higher dispersive surface energy of levofloxacin compared with
irgasan, and contact angle goniometry showed an increase in hydrophobicity in PLAcollagen-drug
samples. The antibacterial studies showed a high efficacy of resistance against
the growth of both E. coli and S. Aureus, except with PLA-collagen-LEVO which showed a
regrowth of bacteria after 48 h. This can be attributed to the low drug release percentage
incorporated into the nanofibre during the in vitro release study. However, the studies did
show that collagen helped shift both drugs into sustained release behaviour. These ideal modifications to electrospun scaffolds may prove useful in further research regarding the
acceptance of human tissue by inhibiting the potential for bacterial infection.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)