Thermoplastic Wheat Starch Films for Tissue Engineering With Enhanced Physicochemical Properties and Superior Cellular Affinity

ABSTRACT This study explores wheat starch‐based thermoplastic starch (TPS) films, made for the first‐time using glycerol and D‐sorbitol as plasticizers, and investigates their potential in biomedical applications requiring cellular interactions. The balance between glycerol and D‐sorbitol is essential for optimizing film properties. Increasing glycerol content improved wettability, reduced crystallinity, and created a rougher surface due to plasticizer migration, but also decreased mechanical strength. Conversely, adding D‐sorbitol mitigated these effects, enhancing tensile strength and elastic modulus in films with the same total plasticizer content. Higher total plasticizer content generally reduced mechanical properties, except for breaking strain, but D‐sorbitol improved key characteristics. Cell culture studies using normal human dermal fibroblasts (n‐HDFs) were performed on TPS films with 40%, 50%, and 60% plasticizer concentrations. Films with 60% total plasticizer (20% D‐sorbitol, 40% glycerol) showed superior biocompatibility, supporting cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration. These findings suggest that TPS films with a high total plasticizer content—particularly those with a greater proportion of glycerol—may serve as promising biomaterials for wound healing and tissue engineering applications.