Abstract: Skin acts as protective barrier against a number of factors such as dust, opportunistic microbial and viral infections, regulates body temperature and waste discharge. Fibroblast cell population plays an important role in development of skin architecture. A scaffold having capability to support and enhance fibroblast growth is a viable option for wound dressing material which can shorten the time for wound to heal. In this work, Silk Fibroin (SF) and Xanthan (Xa) were blended in three ratios 80 SF: 20 Xa (SFX82), 60 SF: 40 Xa (SFX64), and 50 SF: 50 Xa (SFX55) to create SF/Xa scaffold. Miscibility and other physicochemical properties of SF/Xa scaffold are functions of blending ratios and blend with the ratio 80 SF: 20 Xa has the highest miscibility. Thermal properties of SF/Xa blends are a function of miscibility with SFX82 having superior thermal properties of all fabricated scaffolds. The porosity of SF/Xa scaffolds is in the range of 67% to 50%, with pore size of 58.1 μm – 45.5 μm, water uptake capacity of 92% – 86%, and surface roughness of 49.95 nm – 385 nm. SFX82 shows highest growth rate of L929 fibroblast cells indicating its superiority over other scaffolds for providing biological cues for the growth and proliferation of fibroblastic cells in natural environment. SFX82 scaffold is found to be most suitable for fibroblastic cells thereby enhancing the tissue regeneration at wound site.

Key words: blends, miscibility, FTIR imaging, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), cytocompatibility, wound healing