Abstract
In this article, a hybrid gel has been developed using sodium alginate (Alg) and α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) particles through ionic crosslinking process for the application in bone tissue engineering. The effects of pH and composition of the gel on osteoblast cells (MC3T3) response and bioactive molecules release have been evaluated. At first, a slurry of Alg and α-TCP has been prepared using an ultrasonicator for the homogeneous distribution of α-TCP particles in the Alg network and to achieve adequate interfacial interaction between them. After that, CaCl2 solution has been added to the slurry so that ionic crosslinked gel (Alg-α-TCP) is formed. The developed hybrid gel has been physico-chemically characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a swelling study. The SEM analysis depicted the presence of α-TCP micro-particles on the surface of the hybrid gel, while cross-section images signified that the α-TCP particles are fully embedded in the porous gel network. Different % swelling ratio at pH 4, 7 and 7.4 confirmed the pH responsiveness of the Alg-α-TCP gel. The hybrid gel having lower % α-TCP particles showed higher % swelling at pH 7.4. The hybrid gel demonstrated a faster release rate of bovine serum albumin (BSA), tetracycline (TCN) and dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) at pH 7.4 and for the grade having lower % α-TCP particles. The MC3T3 cells are viable inside the hybrid gel, while the rate of cell proliferation is higher at pH 7.4 compared to pH 7. The in vitro cytotoxicity analysis using thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT), bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and neutral red assays ascertained that the hybrid gel is non-toxic for MC3T3 cells. The experimental results implied that the non-toxic and biocompatible Alg-α-TCP hybrid gel could be used as scaffold in bone tissue engineering.
Highlights
Hydrogels are hydrophilic, three-dimensional (3-D), physically or chemically crosslinked polymer networks which absorb large amount of water in aqueous medium or biological fluids [1,2]
The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) are distributed on the surface of the hybrid gel as well as are embedded into the porous crosslinked gel network
In vitro MC3T3 cell proliferation and viability inside the hybrid gel confirmed that the synthesized hybrid gel is biocompatible
Summary
Three-dimensional (3-D), physically or chemically crosslinked polymer networks which absorb large amount of water in aqueous medium or biological fluids [1,2]. The excellent swelling nature of the hydrogel helps to retain water molecules into the 3-D network that aids in keeping biocompatibility, structural integrity and elasticity [1]. Owing to these features, hydrogels have been extensively employed in different biomedical applications such as drug delivery [1,2,3], protein delivery [3], tissue engineering [4,5,6,7] and regenerative medicine [7]. High interconnectivities between pores are plenty for regular cell distribution when seeded [20]
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