Exploring the effect of one-dimensional halloysite based bionanocomposite hydrogel for bone regeneration

Abstract

Bone disorders are a significant public health issue with detrimental social and economic effects. Bone-related disorders are on the rise, and they are mostly associated with ageing, an unhealthy lifestyle, and bio-medical conditions like osteoporosis and bone cancer that led to bone loss and/or decay. Fortunately, intriguing hydrogels are considered one of the most promising options for bone regeneration due to their distinct 3D network structure and high aqueous content and functional capabilities. In the current study, functionalized halloysite nanotubes (fHNT) were prepared and were subsequently trapped in sodium alginate/hydroxyapatite to provide a fascinating hydrogel with bone regeneration properties. FTIR and XRD were used to characterize the synthesized hydrogels and their swelling ratio was investigated by immersing them in phosphate buffer solution. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis of the fabricated material revealed dense, layered-like patterns of the hydrogel. The thermal properties of the hydrogel reinforced with halloysite nanotubes were significantly improved. The contact angle was evaluated to discover if the hydrogel was hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The antimicrobial efficiency of hydrogel was tested using both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and the outcome revealed that hydrogel had maintained its good antibacterial activity. The hemolysis assay revealed that the fabricated hydrogels are hemocompatible in nature. Moreover, osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) were used to investigate how cells interact with hydrogel. Also, hydrogel exhibited excellent attachment and proliferation of human osteoblast like cells (MG-63) on 9 days of culture period. The findings suggested that this combination of materials in the fabricated hydrogels will play a promising role in bone regeneration.