Evaluation of the Effects of Decellularized Wharton Jelly Nanoparticles on Polyhydroxy Butyrate-Chitosan Electrospun Scaffolds for Cartilage Tissue Engineering Applications

An integral part of cartilage tissue engineering is scaffold fabrication methods and the selection of materials that mimic the extracellular matrix of the host tissue. This study aims to investigate the effects of the decellularized extracellular matrix of cord Wharton’s jelly (DWJM) on polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-nano chitosan (Cs) electrospun scaffold by adding (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) wt% of DWJM nanoparticles. Evaluation of the results regarding fiber diameter, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties confirmed that the scaffold with 0.2 wt% DWJM nanoparticles is the optimal choice. The average fiber diameter decreased from 441.5 to 327.4 nm, while the ultimate strength increased from 5.1 to 7.5 MPa, and the elongation at break increased from 11.9 to 13.7%. The addition of DWJM nanoparticles played a significant role in reducing crystallinity, increasing hydrolytic decomposition, appropriate degradation, and enhancing cell compatibility. Based on the results of the MTT test, a significant increase in the growth and proliferation of chondrocytes on the scaffolds with 0.2 wt% DWJM nanoparticles was observed compared to the PHB-Cs scaffold during 7 days of cell culture. In conclusion, the nanocomposite scaffold containing of 0.2 wt% DWJM nanoparticles exhibits efficient biological behavior and can serve as a suitable option for cartilage tissue engineering.