Research on possible medical use of silk produced by caddisfly larvae of Hydropsyche angustipennis (Trichoptera, Insecta).
Silk products are used in medicine as biomaterials, and are particularly promising as scaffolds in tissue engineering. To date only silkworm and spider silk medical potential has been evaluated, whereas the possible application of the material spun by caddisflies in wet environment has not been examined. Biomedical application of every natural material requires biocompatibility testing and evaluation of unique microbiological and mechanical properties. This article focuses on silk fibers formed in caddisflies cocoons of Hydropsyche angustipennis (Insecta, Trichoptera) larvae. Preliminary biological evaluation shows that trichopteran silk is not cytotoxic to human cells. Caddisfly silk itself does not possess antiseptic properties and thus sterilization is indispensable for its application in medicine. Among tested methods of sterilization and disinfection only thermal methods (tyndallization and autoclaving) enabled complete eradication of bacteria and gave fully sterile material. Caddisfly silk appeared to be resistant to high temperature. Fully sterile fibers can be stored without a loss of breaking force and tensile strength. Our work shows that trichopteran silk has a significant potential to be used as a biomaterial.
Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., 90-237 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: mtszydel@biol.uni.lodz.pl.
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Tszydel
Department of General Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 12/16 Banacha Str., 90-237 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: agzab@biol.uni.lodz.pl.
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Zabłotni
Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Żeromskiego Str., 90-543 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: dorowoj@gmail.com.
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Wojciechowska
Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Żeromskiego Str., 90-543 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: marina.michalak@p.lodz.pl.
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Michalak
Department of Material and Commodity Sciences and Textile Metrology, Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Żeromskiego Str., 90-543 Łódź, Poland.
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Krucińska
Polymer Engineering and Technology Division, Wrocław University of Technology, 27 Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Str., 50-370 Wrocław, Poland. Electronic address: konrad.szustakiewicz@pwr.edu.pl.
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Szustakiewicz
Tissue Engineering Department, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 24 Karłowicza Str., 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland. Electronic address: m.uzarska@wp.pl.
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Maj
Institute of Physics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 5 Grudziądzka Str., 87-100 Toruń, Poland. Electronic address: agatabrazkiewicz@gmail.com.
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Jaruszewska
Institute of Physics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 5 Grudziądzka Str., 87-100 Toruń, Poland. Electronic address: jast@fizyka.umk.pl.
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Strzelecki
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D047011:Silk / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013696:Temperature; D013718:Tensile Strength
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004202:Disinfectants; D047011:Silk
Caddisfly; Cytotoxicity; Mechanical properties; Silk; Sterilization