Comparative analysis of curcumin and β-carotene as bioactive additives in melt electrowritten PLLA biomedical scaffolds

This study investigates the effects of incorporating curcumin and β-carotene as bioactive additives in poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) biomedical scaffolds fabricated using melt electrowriting. A fixed concentration of 2.5 wt% for each additive was integrated into the PLLA matrix. Comprehensive characterization of the modified scaffolds was performed utilizing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), contact angle measurements, and mechanical testing under tensile conditions. Additionally, cytotoxicity assays were conducted to evaluate the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. The results revealed that β-carotene incorporation led to a significant reduction in the crystallinity and mechanical strength of PLLA, indicating a detrimental effect on its structural integrity. In contrast, curcumin was found to enhance the mechanical properties of PLLA without adversely affecting its crystallinity. Importantly, both curcumin and β-carotene functionalized scaffolds exhibited no cytotoxic effects, affirming their potential for biomedical applications. This comparative analysis underscores the distinct influences of curcumin and β-carotene on the properties of PLLA scaffolds, highlighting the promise of curcumin as a beneficial bioactive additive for enhancing scaffold performance in tissue engineering.