Co‐electrospinning of lignocellulosic nanoparticles synthesized from walnut shells with poly(caprolactone) and gelatin for tissue engineering applications

Lignocellulose is the main component of plants that has gained considerable attention in biomedical applications due to exceptional biological properties, such as antioxidant activity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. In this work, nanoparticles were produced from walnut shells (WS) via physical milling followed by a chemical treatment. FTIR, DLS, SEM, XRD, and TGA results confirmed their lignocellulosic chemical composition and dimensions of 560 nm with a 28% crystalline phase. WS nanoparticles were then co-electrospun with polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin. Morphological investigations showed that WS nanoparticles increase the average diameter of PCL and Gel nanofibers from 250 and 300 nm to around 600 and 550 nm, respectively. Interestingly, the moduli of coaxially electrospun PCL-Gel membranes increased from 11.9 to 16.6 MPa, while their thermal stability decreased from 345 to 285 °C. PCL-Gel nanofibers loaded with 2% WS particles were considered as the optimal sample because of their excellent mechanical properties. The scaffolds made from these fibers showed excellent viability, growth, and proliferation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs).