Background: Silibinin, a plant-derived compound with known biological properties, is being studied for its role in cell differentiation—particularly in stem cells.
Experimental approach: The present study designed a drug delivery system using chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Silibinin (SCNPs) into scaffolds containing Alginate and Chitosan (Alg/Chi) for the sustained and prolonged release of Silibinin. The scaffolds were investigated using physical, mechanical, cellular, and microbial analyses.
Results: Results showed that the addition of nanoparticles affected the properties of the scaffolds, including tensile stress, swelling behavior, and porosity as a result of impregnation of nanoparticles. These scaffolds showed good biocompatibility and antibacterial activity against E. coli and B. cereus bacteria. The system, featuring an optimal release of Silibinin, created a highly interconnected 3D porous microstructure that promoted the attachment and growth of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.. In addition, the Chi/Alg/SCNPs can be considered as a suitable scaffold for tissue engineering applications due to their outstanding physicochemical properties.
Conclusion: The incorporation of silibinin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (SCNPs) into chitosan/alginate porous scaffolds improved their physicochemical and mechanical properties while enhancing rat BMSC attachment. Therefore, Chi/Alg/SCNPs scaffolds represent a promising platform for tissue engineering applications.