Regenerated Bombyx mori silk fiber with enhanced biodegradability

Abstract

Regenerated Bombyx mori silk fibroin fibers with higher biodegradability were developed by adding calcium chloride to the source fibroin solution for wet spinning. The regenerated fibroin fiber spun from 11 w/w % calcium chloride showed more than 95% degradation at 4 days, where no significant degradation was observed on the ones spun from 0 w/w % calcium chloride. The tensile strength was also partially lost from the fiber by adding calcium chloride, but it retained 50% strength of the one without calcium chloride. These results suggest a possibility to produce a new regenerated silk fiber with controlled biodegradability, which is suitable for bio­medical purposes.