Kefiran-based scaffolds for biomedical applications

Kefiran is an exopolysaccharide produced by microorganisms present in kefir grains, with several health promoting properties. A optimized protocol was developed for the separation of kefiran from kefir grains, allowing to reach a yield 4÷5 % without using toxic or expensive chemicals. The capability of kefiran to produce scaffold via Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) technique was investigated and porous scaffolds structure was obtained. Separated kefiran and scaffolds were analyzed via DSC and different thermal properties between purified kefiran and scaffold were revealed. XRD analysis revealed different structure between kefiran and scaffolds. The porous scaffold structure can be modulated by modifiying the thermal path of the solution during the phase separation. The citotoxicity of kefiran was evaluated with cell viability test and a significant faster cell proliferation in the treated colture medium with kefiran was evidenced.