Genipin crosslinked gelatin nanofibers for tissue engineering.

summary The objective of this study was to enhance the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of electrospun gelatin nanofibers, while maintaining their good bioactivity. In this work, genipin was used as crosslinker to achieve this goal. Electrospun gelatin nanofibers were crosslinked with genipin vapor at room temperature for 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. The morphologies of the crosslinked nanofibrous mats were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanofibrous mats were examined. Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a model drug was successfully incorporated into nanofibers. The release of BSA from fibrous mats crosslinked for different times was studied. The results indicated that the crosslinked nanofibrous mats have the potential of serving as tissue engineering scaffold or drug delivery vehicle.