Κappa-Carrageenan Modified Polyurethane Foam Scaffolds for Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering

Polyurethane (PU) are versatile synthetic polymers used for scaffold synthesis. However, their biocompatibility and growth factor (GF) release properties for biomedical and tissue engineering (TE) applications need improvement. We report four kappa-carrageenan (κ-CRG) modified PU (CMPU: PU4C1, PU4C2, PU4C3, and PU4C4) scaffolds from PU4 where κ-CRG % is minimum in PU4C1 and it is maximum in PU4C4. The investigations include fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, in-vitro cell-viability assays using C2C12 myoblasts, and GF such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) release studies using enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) kits. FTIR spectra confirmed the synthesis of CMPU (C = C, COOR, NHCOO, O = S = O, C–O–C, O–SO 3 − ) scaffolds. The EDX spectra presented an increase of sulfur (%) from 0.24% (PU4C1) to 4.0% (PU4C4) with the increase of κ-CRG. The results of biocompatibility assessment day-21 (%) cell viability (PU4 = 67.54 ± 7.68%, PU4C1 = 71.40 ± 5.07%, PU4C2 = 75.79 ± 6.10%, PU4C3 = 82.42 ± 6.82%, PU4C4 = 83.37 ± 7.68%), live/dead images and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images (day 1, 7, and 14) suggest that C2C12 myoblasts adhesion, proliferation, metabolic activity, and viability followed a trend (PU4C4 > PU4C3 > PU4C2 > PU4C1 > PU4). A similar trend was observed in the IGF-1 (ng ml −1 ) release from PU4 and CMPUs (day 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14), suggesting a successful synthesis of CMPUs with enhanced biocompatibility and GF (IGF-1) release, i.e., directly related to the incorporated κ-CRG concentration. Graphical Abstract