Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine - Department of Dental Materials

Aim of the study: Fabrication, characterization, and biological evaluation of a novel polycaprolactone (PCL) nano-scaffold incorporating pomegranate peel extract (PG) for bone regeneration. Methodology : PCL and PG solutions were prepared, and nanofibrous scaffolds were obtained by electrospinning.Three groups of scaffolds were prepared; the control group PCL and the other two groups contained PCL with different PG concentrations (11% and 18%). Fiber morphology, diameter, and distribution were studied using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) while the chemical structure was analyzed using Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC) were studied using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) test and Folin-Ciocalteu test, respectively. PG release was monitored by spectrophotometer, while porosity measurement was carried out by Brunauer, Emmett and Teller method (BET) and mercury intrusion porosimeter. Degradation analysis was performed up to 21 days. Osteoblastic proliferation and cell attachment on the scaffold{u2019}s surface were detected using 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and SEM, respectively. Statistical analyses were done using Tukey{u2019}s post-Hoc test one-way ANOVA. Results: Scaffold{u2019}s characterization showed uniform nanofibers, without beads or fibers entanglement.The fiber diameter ranged between 149 nm and 168 nm while the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content of the groups containing PG had a significantly higher result compared with the control group.The highest release of PG was detected within the first 48 hours

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