Preparation, Characterization and Biocompatibility of a Silk Fibroin/Bamboo Nanofibrillated Cellulose Composite Hydrogel

TL;DR

A new eco-friendly hydrogel made from silk and bamboo cellulose shows strong mechanical properties and supports cell growth, making it promising for tissue engineering.

Contribution

A fully natural composite hydrogel with improved mechanical strength and biocompatibility is developed for tissue engineering.

Findings

The composite hydrogel has enhanced mechanical properties and controllable degradation.

The material supports fibroblast adhesion, spreading, and proliferation.

The hydrogel shows a strong pro-migratory effect in cell migration assays.

Abstract

To address the limitations of pure silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels, such as poor mechanical strength and rapid degradation, a fully “green” composite hydrogel was developed by integrating bamboo nanofibrillated cellulose (BNC) with SF and crosslinked using the natural agent genipin. The composite formed a stable interpenetrating network, as confirmed by means of SEM and FTIR. This structure led to significantly enhanced mechanical properties (increased storage modulus and pronounced shear-thinning behavior), moderate swelling, and a controllable degradation rate. In vitro biocompatibility assays demonstrated that the BNC-SF hydrogel was non-cytotoxic and excellently supported the adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of L929 fibroblasts. Notably, it exhibited a strong pro-migratory effect in a scratch assay. This work presents a high-performance, injectable scaffold material derived entirely from natural sources, showing great potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

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