Osteoconductive Properties of Propolis‐Polycaprolactone (PCL) Scaffolds on Adipose‐Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Abstract Bone tissue engineering aims to develop implants capable of repairing or replacing damaged bones resulting from trauma, cancer, or other medical disorders. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to utilize polymeric scaffolds and stem cells to create a supporting matrix that replicates the natural surroundings of bone cells. In this study, we developed a matrix of polycaprolactone (PCL) and propolis, a bee‐produced natural substance, to enhance the human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD‐MSCs) differentiate into osteocunductive cells. For this purpose, we used electrospinning to fabricate a PCL scaffold, and then coated with propolis. Then AD‐MSCs were cultured and differentiated on PCL and PCL/propolis scaffolds and comparing them with tissue culture plates (TCPs), a standard surface for cell culture. The viability of cells on days 1, 3, and 5 of differentiation, was measured by a Resazurin assay. To evaluate the differentiation efficiency on days 7, 14, and 21 of differentiation by measuring calcium content, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and expression of osteogenic genes such as RUNX‐2, collagene‐I, osteocalcin , and osteonectin . Our findings indicated that cell viability was slightly higher in the TCPS group on day 3 of differentiation. However, calcium content and ALP activity were higher in the PCL and PCL/propolis groups, respectively. Additionally, the expression of osteogenic genes was greater in the PCL/propolis group on all days of differentiation. These findings suggest that mixing PCL and propolis makes a microenvironment that is similar to what happens in living things, which helps AD‐MSCs differentiate into bone tissue.