The
bioactivity of Ca and/or B modified silicon oxycarbides has
been assessed in vitro upon immersion in SBF (simulated
body fluid). In the context of the present work, bioactivity refers
to the likeliness of hydroxyapatite crystallization (biomineralization)
on the surface of a material when in contact with physiological fluids.
The incorporation of Ca and B into the silicon oxycarbide glass network
is found to increase its bioactivity, which seems to scale with the
content of Ca; thus, SiOC glass with a relatively large
Ca/Si molar ratio (i.e., 0.12) is shown to exhibit bioactive characteristics
similar to those of the benchmark silicate bioactive glass of 45S5 composition. The release kinetics of the SiOC glasses modified with Ca and/or B during the SBF test was studied
by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. It has
been observed that the Si release kinetics can be correlated with
the Ca content in the SiOC glasses: SiOC based glasses modified with Ca exhibited low Si release activation
energies (i.e., 0.07 eV), being comparable to that of 45S5 bioactive glass (i.e., 0.04 eV); whereas silicon oxycarbides without
Ca modification showed higher activation energies for Si release (i.e.,
0.27 eV).
Medical nutrients obtained from plants have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, owning to the protective and therapeutic properties of plant extracts and products. Glycyrrhizic acid is one of those that, apart from its therapeutic effect, may contribute to stronger bones, inhibiting bone resorption and improving the bone structure and biomechanical strength. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a bioactive glass (BG) addition to the structure–property relationships of supramolecular assemblies formed by glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and its monoammonium salt (MSGA). FTIR spectra of supramolecular assemblies evidenced an interaction between BG components and hydroxyl groups of MSGA and GA. Moreover, it was revealed that BG components may interact and bond to the carboxyl groups of MSGA. In order to assess their biological effects, BG, MSGA, and their supramolecular assemblies were introduced to a culture of human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). Both the BG and MSGA had positive influence on BMSC growth, viability, and osteogenic differentiation—these positive effects were most pronounced when BG1d-BG and MSGA were introduced together into cell culture in the form of MSGA:BG assemblies. In conclusion, MSGA:BG assemblies revealed a promising potential as a candidate material intended for application in bone defect reconstruction and bone tissue engineering approaches.
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