Cinnamaldehyde/cinnamon essential oil loaded poly-L-lactic acid/ hydroxyapatite fibrous scaffolds as osteogenic differentiation enhancing system for bone tissue engineering applications

Abstract

In this study, we developed electrospun poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)/ hydroxyapatite (HA) fibers loaded with Cinnamaldehyde (Cin) or Cinnamon essential oil (E.O) as a dual-function system to modulate bone remodeling. Cin or E.O as a natural component inhibited the bone resorption same as the bone formation process. The electrospun fibers were characterized by SEM, FTIR, contact angle, and tensile test. The biocompatibility of scaffolds was evaluated by an MTT assessment. Additionally, the osteogenic potency of fibers was investigated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, Alizarin Red staining, calcium content assay, and the RT-PCR analysis. The cinnamon compounds release profile was studied over 12 days. The results demonstrated that PLLA/HA/Cin and PLLA/HA/E.O. fibers had bead-free, randomly oriented morphologies and suitable physicochemical properties for cell seeding and survival. The calcium level deposition and ALP activity of PLLA/HA/Cin and PLLA/HA/E.O significantly increased compared to the control group. Osteogenic-related gene expression including ALP, Runx2, osteocalcin, and osteonectin significantly upregulated in PLLA/HA/Cin fiber group. The results revealed that the PLLA/HA/Cin fiber with desirable osteogenic differentiation potency can be an appropriate candidate for bone tissue engineering applications.