Three-dimensionally (3D) printing of propolis incorporated sodium
alginate scaffolds for wound treatment
Abstract
3D printing can be of great use, particularly the production of personal
medical products and devices such as scaffolds. In this study, the main
aim is to develop propolis (Ps) containing wound dressings by making use
of 3D printing technology. Different combinations and structures of
propolis (Ps) incorporated sodium alginate (SA) scaffolds are developed.
The morphological studies show that the porosity of developed scaffolds
was optimized when 20% (v/v) of Ps was added in the solution. The pore
sizes decreased by increasing Ps concentration up to a certain level due
to its adhesive properties. The mechanical, swelling-degradation (weight
loss) behaviors and Ps release kinetics were highlighted for the
scaffold stability. The antimicrobial assay was employed to test and
screen antimicrobial behaviour of Ps against Escherichia coli and
Staphylococcus aureus strains. The results show that the Ps added
scaffolds have an excellent antibacterial activity because of Ps’s
compounds. The in-vitro cytotoxicity test was also applied on the
scaffold by using the extract method on the human dermal fibroblasts
(HFFF2) cell line. It is clearly found that the control SA and Ps added
SA are non-toxic. The 3D printed SA-Ps scaffolds are very effective
structures for wound dressing applications with unique properties.