Silk fibroin from production wastes, a new raw material for tissue engineering: physicochemical properties and biological performance

Silk textile production generates considerable amounts of waste, increasing environmental contamination. However, this waste displays valuable potential as a sustainable source of silk fibroin for biomaterial applications. This study investigated the physicochemical properties and cellular compatibility of silk fibroin extracted from both silk cocoons (SFC) and silk waste (SFW). SFW demonstrated comparable morphology, thermal stability, secondary structure, and wettability to SFC. Amino acid composition analyses revealed similarities between these two silk fibroin sources, especially for the most abundant amino acids, although SFW exhibited slightly lower levels of charged amino acids. Both types of silk fibroin maintained cell viability above 70% across a range of concentrations, and cellular adhesion studies indicated effective fibroblast spreading and attachment to both film surfaces. These findings highlight the promise of silk fibroin derived from both silk cocoons and waste as a potential biomaterial for tissue engineering.