Evaluation of an electrospun nanocellulose composite membrane for potential vascular tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on Earth, offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials in biomedical applications. Among cellulose-derived materials, nanocellulose has attracted increasing attention due to its favourable biocompatibility, versatility, and compatibility with advanced fabrication techniques such as electrospinning, 3D printing, and freeze-drying. In this study, Polystyrene/nanocellulose composite membranes fabricated via electrospinning were produced and systematically characterized, and their cytocompatibility was comparatively evaluated against solvent-cast nanocellulose membranes and standard tissue culture plates. Comprehensive morphological and physicochemical analyses were performed, followed by cytocompatibility evaluations using primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Cell viability, proliferation, inflammatory response, and qualitative endothelial layer formation were evaluated over a 21-day culture period. HUVEC proliferation and viability on electrospun membranes were comparable to those observed on solvent-cast nanocellulose membranes and standard tissue culture plates (TCP) after 21 days. All membrane formulations exhibited a reduction in reactive oxygen species over time, while electrospun membranes demonstrated a more homogenous cytokine expression profile (IL-6, IL-23, IFN-α2, and TNF-α) during long-term culture. However, qualitative assessment of endothelial layer formation indicated a delayed development of a mature endothelial monolayer on electrospun membranes compared with solvent cast membranes and tissue culture controls. Overall, these findings demonstrate the cytocompatibility of electrospun nanocellulose composite membranes and highlight how differences in fabrication strategy and resulting membrane characteristics influence endothelial cell responses. This study provides a comparative and exploratory evaluation of nanocellulose composite membrane systems, supporting their further consideration as sustainable biomaterial for vascular-related biomedical research.