Electrospinner: Uncovering the antioxidant behavior of self-assembled β-sheets in silk fibroin

Antioxidant capacity of silk fibroin

Studies have shown that silk fibroin (SF) is a strong antioxidant that can eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells and zebrafish. This finding demonstrated for the first time the antioxidant potential of SF and provided a theoretical basis for the application of SF in antioxidant therapy. .

Antioxidant mechanism

The antioxidant mechanism of SF is based on the change of its β-folded structure. When SF is oxidized, its secondary structure changes from β-folded to random coil, and this change is the reason for its scavenging of ROS, rather than the oxidation of amino acids.

Application potential of silk fibroin

Due to its good biocompatibility and antioxidant activity, SF can be used as a potential antioxidant biomaterial for treatment. The antioxidant activity of SF can be further enhanced by physical and chemical methods while increasing the β-folding content, such as by heat treatment

Study on the stability of silk fibroin with other antioxidants

Study on the stability of natural antioxidants in silk fibroin materials showed that by regulating the process of silk fibroin film formation, silk fibroin films with different secondary structures can be prepared, and their degradation properties and the stability of antioxidants were studied

Relationship with electrospinning

High-throughput production of silk fibroin-based electrospun fibers: A study developed a nozzle-free electrospinning device for high-throughput production of silk fibroin-based ternary biocompatible composite fibers with tunable wettability. This technology can significantly increase protein production and regulate the wettability of the scaffold, which is of great significance for fields such as skin tissue engineering.

Performance of silk fibroin piezoelectric fibers: The silk fibroin fiber mat prepared by electrospinning technology, combined with ethanol-stretching post-treatment process, obtained a silk fibroin fiber-based piezoelectric generator (SF@PENG) with excellent performance, showing its potential for application in self-powered devices.

Research progress of antioxidant nanomedicines

Research progress of antioxidant nanomedicines shows that nanomedicines are expected to break through the bottleneck in the development of neuroprotective drugs due to their controllable size and morphology and high surface modification, especially in ischemic stroke reperfusion injury. In summary, silk fibroin, as a natural biomaterial with good biocompatibility and antioxidant activity, shows great potential in the field of antioxidant therapy. By regulating its β-folding structure, its antioxidant properties can be enhanced, providing new clues for the discovery and identification of antioxidant biomaterials.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2024.103307