Sarma, Kushal KonwarSHARMA, MANAV2022-06-302022-06-302019-07https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810185008B. mori silk cocoons were processed by established state of the art protocol to obtain silk fibroin aqueous solution, which was further used for scaffold fabrication. Three types of highly porous three dimensional sponge feel scaffolds were fabricated using traditionally used herbal based medicine i.e. Curcumin & Cissus quadrangularis. They are Silk Fibroin scaffold (SF), Silk Fibroin blended with Curcumin (CuSF) and Silk Fibroin blended with Cissus quadrangularis extract (CqSF). FESEM revealed highly porous scaffold with homogenously distributed interconnected pores in all types of scaffolds with pore ranging from 45.73-121.1 μm, 42.37-137.8 μm and 50.95-103.4 μm for SF, Cu-SF and Cq-SF respectively. The average porosity for each scaffold obtained were 88.57 %, 91.47 %, 93.03 % for SF, CuSF, CqSF respectively. Swelling and Water Holding Capacity were calculated to be 4.14%, 2.14% and 2.43% and 89.37 %, 92.04 % and 93.75 % for SF, CqSF, CuSF respectively. 42 numbers of New Zealand White rabbits were procured from authorized supplier for the study after obtaining IAEC clearance. Scaffolds were implanted into critical size radius bone defect (1.5 to 2 cm) following state of the art anaesthetic protocol. 0.5ml autologous bone marrow (BM) was collected and seeded immediately after collection for each type of scaffold considering as a separate animal group. Satisfactory clear radiographic union could be observed as early as by 30th day and initiation of remodeling by 60th day for Cu-SF & Cu-SF-BM groups. SF & SF-BM group radiographic union was evidence by 60th day but with a less opaque area compared to Cu- SF & Cu-SF-BM group. Relatively satisfactory radiographic union was also observed by the end of the observation period in Cq-SF group. In contrast, Cq-SF-BM group revealed no radiographic union even up to the end of the observation period. Histological samples were collected at the end of the radiographic observation (90th day) and processed for H & E staining. New blood vessel, marrow cells and new bone tissue could also be demonstrated for both Cu-SF & Cu-SF-BM group. In both SF & SF-BM group fibrous connective tissue could be visualized, along with cartilaginous tissue in SF-BM group. In Cq-SF group also along with fibrous connective tissue with new boney tissue could be demonstrated. But in Cq-SF-BM group fibrous connective tissue could only be demonstrated. Finally it could be concluded that B. mori silk fibroin could effectively be used and biofunctionalized with traditionally known fracture healing herbal based ingredients for bone tissue engineering application as evidence by satisfactory radiographic and histological findings in Cu-SF, Cu-SF-BM and Cq-SF groups.EnglishThesis