Sterilisation effects on electrospun fibres manufactured from different grades of poly(e-caprolactone)

Anita Ghag, F Tancred-Holmes, A Gibb, S.H Cartmell, L.A Bosworth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Chemical grade poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is commonly used in biomaterial and tissue engineering research and often sterilised using methods (alcohol immersion or ultraviolet radiation, for example) that may not fully eradicate microorganism contaminants, simply because they are more economical. Unfortunately, the regulatory bodies do not approve this grade of material or sterilisation processes for implantation into humans. As such, translation into a clinical setting could be considerably delayed. This study focused on the comparison of electrospun fibre scaffolds manufactured from PCL medical or chemical grades and subsequent sterilisation by gamma irradiation (25 kGy) or ethanol (50-100%v/v). Effects on physicochemical properties and biocompatibility in a short-term in vitro study were evaluated. Significant differences in fibre diameter and tensile properties were obtained; and cell number was greatest when cultured on gamma-irradiated medical grade PCL. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate materials and sterilisation processes early in the research project time-line.
Original languageEnglish
JournalScience Letters Journal
Volume4
Issue number206
Publication statusPublished - 25 Jul 2015

Keywords

  • Sterilisation
  • Gamma irradiation
  • Ethanol
  • Electrospun fibre
  • Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL)
  • electrospinning

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