Development of Ductile-Sticky Bone Fillers from Biodegradable Hydrolyzed Wool-Keratin and Silk Fibroin

Abstract

In the present study, a method is proposed for preparing novel ductile-sticky materials that can be used as bone void fillers using hydrolyzed wool-keratin (WK) and silk fibroin (SF). This methodology uses citric acid as a cross-linking agent in preparing keratin paste (KP) owing to its non-toxicity and plasticizing properties. The Keratin paste-silk fibroin structure (KPSF) is obtained by adding SF, which possesses biocompatible and superior mechanical properties. Methanol treatment is employed on the KPSF mixture to convert the Silk I structure in the SF to Silk II, resulting in a water-insoluble and tightly packed proteinaceous structure. The physicochemical properties of both bioscaffolds are investigated and discussed in detail by comparison. Based on the findings, the presence of SF in the KPSF structure contributed to properties such as flexibility and porosity. In ovo CAM analysis reveals that both materials exhibit proangiogenic properties and are biocompatible. KP and KPSF bioscaffolds can be converted into ductile-sticky forms by adding water. It believes that these forms can easily apply to bone defect areas, particularly cavitary bone defects. Furthermore, KPSF bioscaffolds, with better mechanical properties, can be considered candidates for use in non-load-bearing bone tissue engineering applications.