Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds of Polycaprolactone/Gelatin Reinforced with Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoclay for Nerve Tissue Engineering Applications

[Image: see text] Nerve tissue engineering (NTE) is an effective approach for repairing damaged nerve tissue. In this regard, nanoparticle-incorporated electrospun scaffolds have aroused a great deal of interest in NTE applications. In this study, layered double hydroxide (LDH)-incorporated polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (Gel) nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by an electrospinning technique. The physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties of the scaffolds were examined. Also, the phase identification, morphology, and elemental composition were studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The results revealed that the inclusion of LDH nanoparticles into the PCL/Gel scaffold has improved its mechanical strength and elongation at the break, while the degradation rate was enhanced in comparison with the pure PCL/Gel mat. The LDH-enriched electrospun PCL/Gel scaffolds exhibited a considerable impact on cell attachment and proliferation. The gene expression results showed that the neuron-specific (γγ) enolase (NSE) gene expression was significantly decreased in the scaffolds containing 1 and 10 wt % LDH compared to the scaffold without LDH, whereas in the scaffold with 0.1 wt % LDH, a slight increase in expression was observed. It can be deduced that electrospun PCL/Gel scaffolds containing LDH with optimum concentration can be a promising candidate for nerve tissue engineering applications.