Evaluation of the biocompatibility of a PVA/SA scaffold with a human gingival fibroblast (HGF) by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Abstract The biocompatibility of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) was evaluated in different concentrations of poly(vinyl alcohol) and sodium alginate (PVA/SA) nanofibres (3.5 wt% 4 wt% and 5 wt%). The PVA/SA nanofibres were deposited on the surface of an electrode microchip by using the electrospinning technique. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was applied to measure the dielectric properties of each system. In order to provide a detailed analysis as well as a right physical interpretation of the EIS results, the data was fitted with an electric equivalent circuit based on the EIS and the microscopic assessments. The results registered three different time constants (TCs) of the PVA/SA scaffold which indicated different layers at different depths of the scaffold. The TCs changed their dielectric properties depending on the PVA/SA concentration. The 4 wt% system showed the highest biocompatibility properties, given that its resistance and electrochemical capacitance show the formation of a mature-stage cell interaction of HGF. The EIS data offers an exhaustive analysis of the biological activity of the cell response in real time to determine its biocompatibility features. Fluorescence analysis demonstrated a heterogeneous growth of the HGF on the PVA/SA scaffold surface.