Cold Atmosphere Plasma Modification on Beta-Carotene-Loaded Nanofibers to Enhance Osteogenic Differentiation

Since bone disorders have globally increased, tissue engineering could provide a solution by generating fully functional bone tissues. The most powerful aspect of bone tissue engineering is biomaterials. The focus of this study was the development of PCL nanofibers loaded with 4% β-carotene (βC) and PLGA nanofibers loaded with 2% βC as suitable bioactive scaffolds able to support the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). βC, a vitamin A progenitor, provided the potential for stimulating osteoblast differentiation. The electrospun PLGA and PCL nanofibers containing βC were treated by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) at different times. These modified scaffolds were characterized by SEM to find the optimal time for CAP treatment. FTIR and contact angle measurements were used to detect and confirm surface chemical changes. Optimal CAP-treated scaffolds were seeded by MSCs and incubated for 21 days. The growth and proliferation of MSCs were analyzed by MTT assay in the early stages (up to 72 hours). The results confirmed the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. Our in-vitro study showed that the cell attachment, proliferation, and calcium deposition, as well as, the expression of RUNX2, SOX9 , and osteonectin genes bone-specific markers during a 21-day culture were enhanced on CAP-treated PLGA/βC2% and PCL/βC4% nanofibers without an external bone differential agent. These advanced scaffolds can be applied in bone tissue engineering.