The root-like chitosan nanofiber porous scaffold cross-linked by genipin with type I collagen and its osteoblast compatibility

Bone tissue repair is difficult due to the dense structure of the extracellular matrix. To solve this problem, a porous chitosan nanofiber scaffold (CSNFS) with an extracellular matrix-like structure was prepared via a facile cross-linked reaction of root-like chitosan nanofiber (CSNF) and collagen (Col) by using genipin (Gen) as the cross-linker. The optimal preparation conditions of CSNFS is weight ratio of CSNF:Col:Gen =1:1:0.1, crosslinked 48 h under 37 °C. CSNFS shows high porosity with adequate micro-scale pores, and its BET data shows that there are a large number of nano-scale pores. The CSNFS mechanical strength is higher than that of the chitosan scaffold both in dry and wet state. MC3T3 cells grow well on CSNFS, can overgrow the scaffold in three-dimensional space, adhere and differentiate well within those nanofiber structure. The cross-linked CSNFS has good biocompatibility and can be used as a repair material for bone tissue engineering.