Proteolytic Degradation of Silk Fibroin Scaffold by Protease XXIII

Two-dimensional silk scaffolds were directly spun on the glass plates by Bombyx mori (called locally Nang- Lai) silkworms and used as subject for proteolytic degradation study with protease XXIII. The silk scaffolds were incu- bated with enzyme solution at 37 °C up to 10 weeks. Those of the scaffold properties: surface morphology, secondary structure, mass loss, degradation ratios and particle sizes were investigated. Silk fibroin scaffolds slightly changed of their structure after exposure to the protease. They were also loose of mass greater than 20% at the end of enzyme incubation periods. Much degradation of the scaffolds was quickly during the 4 weeks and scattering of the particle sizes between 1 to 15 μm were found. The results suggested that protease XXIII is an enzyme which could be degraded of the silk fibroin. Therefore, it will be used this enzyme as model study or for preparing silk material for further applications.