Antimicrobial Behavior of Simvastatin‐Loaded Solution Blow‐Spun PLA/PEO/HA Scaffolds

The development of three‐dimensional scaffolds with suitable biological properties is of crucial importance in bone repair. Incorporating antimicrobial functionality into these scaffolds can further enhance their clinical efficacy by helping prevent infections, particularly in patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries. Here, we developed fibrous hybrid scaffolds, composed of polylactic acid/polyethylene oxide/hydroxyapatite (PLA/PEO/HA) and loaded with 5 wt% simvastatin (SIM) using solution blow spinning (SBS) via a green route. Cotton‐wool‐like 3D hybrid scaffolds were successfully produced, exhibiting a nanofibrillar structure. The addition of 10 wt% PEO significantly increased scaffold wettability (water‐in‐air contact angle of 0°). Also, cell viability assessments showed that all scaffolds were noncytotoxic toward the fibroblast cell lineage employed during the investigated incubation period. These scaffolds also exhibited an antimicrobial effect against S. aureus as well as drug delivery ability. Notably, we demonstrated for the first time that a small amount of simvastatin, a known promoter of bone healing, can be released from the scaffolds and trigger a compelling antimicrobial effect that may help prevent infections. Moreover, the release behavior is modulated by the amount of HA present in the hybrid scaffolds. Our findings indicate that the combination of PLA/PEO in a polymer blend containing HA and SIM is promising for bone tissue engineering applications.