Electrospun polycaprolactone/gelatin mat incorporated with glucosamine-loaded zeolite imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles for cartilage tissue engineering

Integration of drugs with mats has been an effective strategy in promoting the potential of mats for tissue engineering purposes. In this study, it was tried to encapsulate glucosamine in zif-8 nanoparticles and embed them within PCL/gelatin electrospun mats in various concentrations (1%, 3%, and 6%). Mats were assessed mechanically (Tensile), physicochemically (porosity, biodegradability, contact angle, swelling, SEM, TEM, EDS, and FTIR), and biologically (MTT, DAPI, H&E, and Cell adhesion). The kinetic of glucosamine release was also analyzed using Sigma plot software. Based on the result, the presence of nanoparticles promoted the elastic modulus (from 50 to 80 MPa), biodegradability (14–22.7%), and wettability. MTT results showed > 100% cell viability for the mats with and without nanoparticles. FTIR, UV–Vis, and EDS confirmed the presence of zif-8 nanoparticles (1.25–2.56%). The glucosamine delivery followed an exponential model (y = a(1-e^−bt)) for all nanoparticle-loaded mats which confirms the ability of zif-8 nanoparticles in drug delivery. Biological studies also confirmed that glucosamine increased cell proliferation and migration significantly (P < 0.05). In general, the use of zif-8 nanoparticles can be recommended for drug delivery purposes. Also, the fabricated mat can be a good candidate for cartilage tissue engineering.