Highly Porous Fluorapatite/β-1,3-Glucan Composite for Bone Tissue Regeneration: Characterization and In-Vitro Assessment of Biomedical Potential

Abstract

A novel fluorapatite/glucan composite (“FAP/glucan”) was developed for the treatment of bone defects. Due to the presence of polysaccharide polymer (β-1,3-glucan), the composite is highly flexible and thus very convenient for surgery. Its physicochemical and microstructural properties were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mercury intrusion, mechanical testing and compared with the reference material, which was a hydroxyapatite/glucan composite (“HAP/glucan”) with hydroxyapatite granules (HAP) instead of FAP. It was found that FAP/glucan has a higher density and lower porosity than the reference material. The correlation between the Young’s modulus and the compressive strength between the materials is different in a dry and wet state. Bioactivity assessment showed a lower ability to form apatite and lower uptake of apatite-forming ions from the simulated body fluid by FAP/glucan material in comparison to the reference material. Moreover, FAP/glucan was determined to be of optimal fluoride release capacity for osteoblasts growth requirements. The results of cell culture experiments showed that fluoride-containing biomaterial was non-toxic, enhanced the synthesis of osteocalcin and stimulated the adhesion of osteogenic cells.

Bioresorbable Chitosan-Based Bone Regeneration Scaffold Using Various Bioceramics and the Alteration of Photoinitiator Concentration in an Extended UV Photocrosslinking Reaction

“…Similarly, Borkowski et al (2021) reported that their FAp/ß-1,3-glucan scaffolds achieved a compressive strength of 11.55 MPa, which is higher than their HAp/ ß-1,3-glucan scaffolds of 6.57 MPa. Since ß-1,3-glucan is also a polysaccharide equivalent to chitosan, their compressive strength values are relevant to the scaffolds produced in this work [ 86 ]. These results also validated that the crosslinking of chitosan polysaccharides does enhance the mechanical properties of the scaffold products [ 61 ].…”

Could Curdlan/Whey Protein Isolate/Hydroxyapatite Biomaterials Be Considered as Promising Bone Scaffolds?—Fabrication, Characterization, and Evaluation of Cytocompatibility towards Osteoblast Cells In Vitro

“…In our previous study, we demonstrated that Young’s modulus and compressive strength of curdlan/HAp biomaterial obtained via dialysis against calcium chloride solution were 0.17 ± 0.05 MPa and 0.057 ± 0.01 MPa, respectively [ 21 ]. In turn, Borkowski et al showed that Young’s modulus and compressive strength values of a thermally obtained biomaterial composed of curdlan and HAp granules were close to 0.55 MPa and 0.25 MPa, respectively [ 45 ]. Hence, these results proved that addition of WPI to curdlan-based biomaterials improved their mechanical properties, namely the higher concentration of WPI led to better mechanical properties of the curdlan-based biomaterial.…”

Nature-Inspired Effects of Naturally Occurring Trace Element-Doped Hydroxyapatite Combined with Surface Interactions of Mineral-Apatite Single Crystals on Human Fibroblast Behavior

“…In this context, the results of our studies might be useful in screening the effects of apatite crystallographically-oriented surfaces and in the evaluation detrimental/beneficial influence of apatite on living systems. Although similar investigations were conducted for biomaterials such as titanium [ 49 , 50 ]; texturized hydroxyapatite ceramics [ 14 ]; lithium-doped hydroxyapatites [ 51 ]; fluorapatite/glucan composites [ 52 ]; and rutile surfaces [ 53 ] using osteoblasts, preosteoblasts, and hepatocytes, to the best of our knowledge, the relation between the specific atomic structure of the surface and the normal human fibroblast biological performance is presented for the first time in our study. Despite recent advances in knowledge, few articles concern complex issues of potential HAp application in tissue engineering [ 54 ].…”