# Sustainable Silk Fibroin Nanofibers Membranes with Natural Photothermal and Bioactive Components for Adhesive-Free Soft Tissue Repair

## TL;DR

A sustainable silk-based membrane with natural additives is developed for soft tissue repair without adhesives.

## Contribution

A novel silk fibroin membrane with cuttlefish ink and vitamin B2 for photothermal and bioactive tissue repair is introduced.

## Key findings

- Membranes showed high cell viability and promoted cell adhesion and organization.
- Laser-assisted welding achieved tissue adhesion with low thermal damage.
- Controlled release of vitamin B2 and retention of cuttlefish ink were confirmed.

## Abstract

Multifunctional silk fibroin (SF) nanofibrous membranes
incorporating
cuttlefish ink (CI) and vitamin B2 (VitB2) were developed via water-based
electrospinning as bioactive scaffolds for soft tissue regeneration
and laser-assisted tissue welding. CI provided antioxidant and photothermal
properties, while VitB2 promoted cellular proliferation. Membranes
exhibited controlled VitB2 release and CI retention within the matrix.
NIH-3T3 fibroblast assays confirmed high viability (>80% at 48
h),
with CI promoting adhesion and cytoskeletal organization, and VitB2
enabling formation of a confluent, organized cell layer. Laser-assisted
welding produced satisfactory adhesion and shear-stress resistance
on the order of ten kPa in ex vivo tendons, corneas, and sclerae,
while keeping tissue temperatures below the 60 °C threshold for
thermal damage. These findings highlight CI- and VitB2-loaded SF membranes
as sustainable, cytocompatible scaffolds with antioxidant and adhesive
functionalities, offering a versatile platform for soft tissue repair
via an adhesive-free approach.