Effect of freezing temperature on the properties of lyophilized silk sericin scaffold

Silk sericin (SS) can be used as biomaterials in the development of scaffolds for skin regeneration as it has important properties such as antioxidant capacity and biocompatibility. However, SS-based materials have weak structural properties, thereby making its application difficult. The effect of freezing temperature (-35 °C and -80 °C) on the properties of freeze-dried SS scaffolds is evaluated in this study. The secondary structure, morphology, and thermal stability of the scaffolds were determined x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy; scanning electron microscopy; and thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. Its water absorption capacity was also assessed. The results indicated that scaffolds manufactured at -35 °C have a higher β-sheet content (37.08%), lower pore density, and larger porosity than those frozen at -80 °C. However, the water absorption and thermal properties showed no statistically significant differences between both samples.