The Effect of Assam Silk Fibroin on the Bacterial Cellulose Cytocompatibility as the Extracellular Matrix

Abstract

The growing interest in natural polymers for biomedical and tissue engineering has fueled the search for materials with superior mechanical and biological properties. Bacterial cellulose (BC) and silk fibroin (SF) emerge as promising candidates meeting these criteria. This study focuses on enhancing BC through high‐pressure homogenization (HPH) and subsequent functionalization with Assam silk fibroin (ASF) using an ex‐situ approach. Analysis via attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy confirms the successful integration of ASF into the HPH‐treated BC scaffold. The diffractogram of HPH‐BC/ASF indicates the prevalence of type I cellulose crystalline structures, with variations in lamellar and porous architecture based on component ratios. Mechanical testing, particularly the compressive test, reveals that the HPH‐BC/ASF formulation exhibits the highest compressive stress and modulus compared to other samples. Supplementary analyses, including swelling ratio and porosity measurements, support the superior compressive properties of HPH‐BC/ASF. Moreover, the cell viability of chondrocytes demonstrates compatibility with the BC‐based scaffold material. These findings underscore the potential applications of HPH‐BC and ASF in areas such as scaffolding for the development of extracellular matrix.