Effect of Gelatin Coating and GO Incorporation on the Properties and Degradability of Electrospun PCL Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Regeneration

This study developed electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) and coated with gelatin (Gt) for bone tissue regeneration. The incorporation of 1–2 wt% GO enhanced mechanical stiffness, thermal stability, and hydrophilicity, while the Gt coating further improved degradability, water absorption, and bioactivity. Tensile testing using the CellScale BioTester 5000 revealed a 32–63% increase in Young’s modulus with GO addition. Hydroxyapatite mineralization assays confirmed that Gt-coated scaffolds exhibited strong bioactivity, promoting calcium phosphate nucleation and enhanced proliferation of human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (hGMSCs). Overall, the synergistic effect of GO reinforcement and gelatin surface functionalization yielded a bioactive scaffold with tunable degradation and mechanical properties suitable for bone tissue engineering applications.