Fabrication of Taurine-Containing Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan Electrospun Mat: Characterization and Biological Activity on Neuroblastoma Cells as Promising Neural Tissue Scaffold

Neural tissue engineering aims to repair or regenerate damaged nerve tissue, particularly following injury or neurodegenerative diseases. Nanofiber scaffolds produced from various biopolymers via electrospinning can serve as multifunctional bioactive scaffolds that can stimulate nerve regeneration, while providing a supportive environment for neuronal growth and differentiation. In this study, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, taurine, and a free amino acid with antioxidant properties in many cell types and tissues, were successfully incorporated at different ratios (1%-20%wt) into poly vinylalcohol/Chitosan (PVA/Cht/Trn) electrospun mats and characterized from various aspects. Microstructural analysis of the electrospun mats showed that the increase in the amount of taurine caused significant changes in fibre diameter. The chemical analyze was confirmed by observing taurine-specific peaks on the electrospun mats. In addition, the incorporation of taurine improved the mechanical properties of the electrospun mats and increased the DPPH radical scavenging activity. To evaluate the potential of the produced electrospun mats as scaffolds, their cytotoxic activities were investigated on human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). Taurine-loaded nanofibrous mats are cytocompatible for SH-SY5Y cells. Additionally, it was observed that the nanofibrous mat containing 1% taurine was effective on cell proliferation. Results show that PVA/Cht/Trn electrospun mats can be a cytocompatible tissue scaffold for nerve tissue engineering applications.