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In order to ensure the consistency of the study and to be able to compare the properties of the materials with each other, the researchers fabricated ten types of silk fibroin membranes, as well as one uncross-linked membrane as a control. To do this, they used silk cocoons produced by silkworms under controlled conditions. Silk fibroin was obtained from the cocoons through a meticulous extraction protocol that includes degumming, dissolution, and purification of the fibroin. Finally, the membranes were fabricated under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, using water as solvent. The optical transparency, enzymatic stability, water absorption, surface roughness and mechanical properties of the membranes were then evaluated. FTIR spectroscopy was also used to study the secondary structure of the proteins. This allowed the degree of cross-linking or proportion of beta sheets to be related to the physical and mechanical properties of the membranes.

What is silk cocoon degumming?

Degumming is a fundamental process in obtaining silk fibroin, the main component of silk used in biomedical applications. The silk cocoon produced by the silkworm is composed of two main proteins: fibroin, which forms the silk fibers, and sericin, a gummy protein that wraps the fibroin fibers and acts as a glue.

Degumming (usually carried out using heat and chemicals) consists of removing sericin to obtain pure fibroin fibers, which are those with the mechanical, optical and biocompatible properties desired in this work. The degumming process is crucial because sericin can cause immunological reactions, so it is important to remove it completely to obtain a material suitable for use in medicine and biotechnology.

Controlling the time and conditions of degumming affects the final quality of the material, so it is important to optimize this process to obtain high-purity fibroin.

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