title: Genipin-modified silk-fibroin nanometric nets.
abstract: Nanometric silk-fibroin nets were fabricated by electrospinning from regenerated Bombyx mori silk-fibroin (SF)/formic acid solutions with the addition of genipin (GE), 2, 15 and 24 h after the solution preparation. After spinning, the pure fibroin nanofibers were water soluble and needed a further stabilization process, whereas the reaction of fibroin with genipin resulted in water-insoluble fibroin nets due to conformational changes induced in the fibroin by the genipin. SFGE nanofibers presented diameters ranging from 140 to 590 nm and were generally thinner than pure SF nanofibers. The secondary structure of SF into SFGE nanofibers showed the presence of a beta-sheet conformation together with beta-turn intermediates (turns and bends). The approach described in this paper provides an alternative method of designing SF nanofibers that are already water insoluble, without any stability post-treatment needed.
authors.affiliation: 3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Department of Polymer Engineering, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. simonesilva@dep.uminho.pt
authors.forename: Simone S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Devid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maniglio
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: João F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.forename: Rui L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Migliaresi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000737:chemistry*; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D057889:Iridoid Glycosides; D039823:Iridoids / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D057889:Iridoid Glycosides; D039823:Iridoids; D005349:Fibroins; C007834:genipin