The
electrophoretic deposition process (EPD) was utilized to produce
bioactive hydroxyapatite/chitosan (HAP/CS) and hydroxyapatite/chitosan/gentamicin
(HAP/CS/Gent) coatings on titanium. The bioactivity of newly synthesized
composite coatings was investigated in the simulated body fluid (SBF)
and examined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,
and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The obtained results
revealed carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite after immersion in SBF,
emphasizing the similarity of the biomimetically grown HAP with the
naturally occurring apatite in the bone. The formation of biomimetic
HAP was confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization
measurements, through the decrease in corrosion current density and
coating capacitance values after 28-day immersion in SBF. The osseointegration
ability was further validated by measuring the alkaline phosphatase
activity (ALP) indicating the favorable osseopromotive properties
of deposited coatings (significant increase in ALP levels for both
HAP/CS (3.206 U mL–1) and HAP/CS/Gent (4.039 U mL–1) coatings, compared to the control (0.900 U mL–1)). Drug-release kinetics was investigated in deionized
water at 37 °C by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled
with mass spectrometry. Release profiles revealed the beneficial “burst-release
effect” (∼21% of gentamicin released in the first 48
h) as a potentially promising solution against the biofilm formation
in the initial period. When tested against human and mice fibroblast
cells (MRC-5 and L929), both composite coatings showed a noncytotoxic
effect (viability >85%), providing a promising basis for further
medical
application trials.
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