In Vitro Study of Degradation of Materials Based on Natural Silk Fabrics for Regenerative Medicine

The aim of this study was to create biodegradable scaffolds based on natural silk fabrics for regenerative medicine. Fabrics with different densities gas-chiffon (15 g/m2) and double-sided satin (155 g/m2) were used as matrices. The samples were preliminarily treated with a water–alcohol solution of calcium chloride for different periods of time to obtain the samples with different degrees of degradation. Morphological studies using light microscopy confirmed structural changes in the tissues after this treatment. Degradation of the obtained scaffolds was studied in vitro using Fenton’s reagent with different duration of incubation (15, 30, and 45 days). The rate of scaffold destruction depended on the type of fabric and time of preliminarily treatment with calcium chloride. The highest degradation rate was observed for gas-chiffon, while satin demonstrated slower destruction. The results obtained can be used when optimizing the properties of silk fabrics for their use in regenerative medicine and development of efficient methods to control their biodegradation.