Bioactive Filler Research Articles

Synbiotic yoghurt with walnut and cereal brittle added as a next-generation bioactive compound: Development and characteristics.

The article presents a technology developed for the production of synbiotic Yoghurt with new bioactive filler based on natural components. The Yoghurt has prebiotic and sorption properties. A higher consumer appeal of the product developed has been substantiated; its characteristics compared with the Yoghurt of traditional production technology have been presented. The brittle, containing peeled walnuts, as well as barley, wheat, rye, oatmeal and buckwheat flakes, sugar, and water, was used as a filler. Optimum time and temperature regimes of boiling caramel mixtures and brewing raw walnut–cereal mass in the brittle have been selected. The formulation developed enables increasing the nutritional and biological values of the finished product. The research studies of the finished product involved an analysis of organoleptic, physicochemical, and microbiological points. When performing the tasks, the approved regulatory and technical documentation (GOST) was applied. Each measurement was carried out in triplicate. The physicochemical characteristics of the samples developed were compared with the requirements for the quality of fermented milk products. The nutritional and biological values were calculated. The increase in consumer properties, and nutritional and biological values of the finished dairy product was scientifically substantiated and experimentally confirmed.

Comparative evaluation of shear bond strength of a traditional composite and ACTIVA BioACTIVE after enamel preparation with Er:YAG laser and conventional acid etching: An in vitro study

Objective: Traditional composites are strong and esthetic, but they have no bioactive potential and require bonding agents that have been shown to leak, cause white lines, staining, and failure. ACTIVA BioACTIVE is the first composite with an ionic resin matrix and bioactive fillers that mimic the physical and chemical properties of natural teeth. The aim of the study was to compare shear bond strength of traditional composite and resin-modified glass-ionomer bioactive ionic resin-based composite after enamel preparation with erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser and conventional acid etching. Materials and Methods: Forty sound extracted molars were divided into four groups of 10 samples each. In group I, specimens were bur treated followed by bonding of composite. In group II, specimens were laser treated followed by bonding of composite. In group III, specimens were bur treated followed by bonding of Bioactive. In group IV, specimens were laser treated followed by bonding of ACTIVA BioACTIVE. Buccal tooth surfaces were prepared approximately half of the enamel depth. A tube was filled with composite and placed on the treated tooth surface. Once the curing was complete, the tube molds were removed. After thermocycling, the shear bond strength testing was performed using the Instron Testing Machine, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results: Bur preparation followed by bonding of Bioactive yielded the highest bond strength followed by laser preparation. Conclusion: Er:YAG laser preparation caused decreased shear bond strength compared to conventional bur preparation.

The effect of calcinated hydroxyapatite and magnesium doped hydroxyapatite as fillers on the mechanical properties of a model BisGMA/TEGDMA dental composite initially and after aging

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of modifying model BisGMA/TEGDMA dental composite by substituting 10 wt. % of conventional glass fillers with bioactive fillers based on calcinated nanosized hydroxyapatite (HAp) and Mg doped hydroxyapatite (Mg-HAp). HAp and Mg-HAp powders were synthesized hydrothermally. Mechanical properties: hardness by Vickers (HV) and flexural strength (Fs) were tested initially and after being stored for 28 days in simulated body fluid (SBF). The experimental composites with HAp and Mg-HAp particles showed no statistically significant difference in HV compared to the control (p>0.05) either initially or after storage. Although mean Fs values of modified composites tested initially were lower (62 MPa) than those of the control (72 MPa), after 28 days of storage in SBF Fs values were greater for modified composites (42 MPa control sample, 48 MPa HAp and Mg-HAp samples). In vitro bioactivity of BisGMA/TEGDMA composites with HAp and Mg-HAp particles after 28 days in SBF was not detected.
 Keywords: hydroxyapatite; magnesium; dental composite; mechanical properties;

Effect of Dexamethasone on Room Temperature Three-Dimensional Printing, Rheology, and Degradation of a Low Modulus Polyester for Soft Tissue Engineering.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has enabled benchtop fabrication of customized bioengineered constructs with intricate architectures. Various approaches are being explored to enable optimum integration of such constructs into the physiological environment including addition of bioactive fillers. In this work, we incorporated a corticosteroid drug, dexamethasone (Dex), in a low modulus polyester (SC5050) and examined the effect of Dex incorporation on solvent-, initiator-, and monomer-free pneumatic extrusion-based 3D printing of the polymer. Dex-SC5050 interactions were characterized by plotting thermodynamic binary phase diagrams based on the Flory-Huggins theory. The effect of Dex composition on the 3D printability of the SC5050 polyester was examined by rheological characterization and by image analysis of each layer of the 3D printed scaffolds. The drug release and the degradation of the polymer from the 3D printed scaffolds was used to analyze the effect of Dex composition on the performance of the 3D printed scaffolds. We found that Dex was insoluble in SC5050 polyester at relevant 3D printing temperatures and the insoluble drug particles physically reinforced the polymer, increasing the viscosity and the shear modulus of the base polymer. In addition, the reinforcing effect improved the shape fidelity of the printed filaments and the overall quality of the scaffolds. The Dex particles demonstrated a two-phase release, with an initial burst release and a slower sustained release of drug under in vitro conditions. To investigate preliminary host response of the 3D printed SC5050 scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, the printed scaffolds were implanted subcutaneously in Sprague-Dawley rats for 6 weeks and examined for fibrous tissue formation, infiltration of cells, and vascularization into the pores of the scaffolds.

A ball milling-based one-step transformation of chitin biomass to organo-dispersible strong nanofibers passing highly time and energy consuming processes

Chitin, a sustainable and functional biological macromolecule, can be converted into chitin nanofibers (ChNFs), and are applicable as a mechanically reinforcing and bioactive filler for polymer matrices. Improving the performance of ChNFs typically relies on their nanofibrilization and miscibility with matrices. To transform chitin biomass into organo-dispersible ChNFs, a series of time-/energy-consuming chemical and mechanical treatments are required: 1) deacetylation, 2) disintegration, 3) surface modification to minimize their aggregation through hydrogen bonds, 4) drying, and 5) re-dispersion. This paper presents a one-step method to transform chitin biomass to organo-dispersible acetylated ChNFs via a ball-milling method in the presence of relatively low toxic acetic anhydride without water. This method minimizes water contaminations and energy for dehydrating. The resulting chitin nanofiber material is mixed with poly(l‑lactic acid) (PLLA) to produce all-bio-based nanocomposites. The composite indicated a 66% increase in Young's modulus and a 100% increase in tensile strength compared to the pristine PLLA. Furthermore, it did not exhibit any observable cytotoxic effect, thus potentially applicable as a biomedical material.

Role of HA and BG in engineering poly(ε-caprolactone) porous scaffolds for accelerating cranial bone regeneration.

Effects of varied bioactive fillers on the biological behavior of porous polymer/inorganic composite scaffolds are lack of comprehensive comparison and remain elusive. Moreover, composite scaffolds with high porosity suffer from inferior mechanical performance. Herein, high-pressure molding and salt leaching were employed to prepare poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) composite porous scaffolds loaded with hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioactive glass (BG), respectively. Structural analysis indicated all the porous scaffolds presented interconnected open-pore structure with the porosity of ~87% and pore size of ~180 μm, hinging on the amounts and size of porogen. Compared to PCL/HA scaffolds, PCL/BG scaffolds showed ~2.3-fold augment in the water absorption. Attributing to the compact framework, the PCL/HA and PCL/BG porous scaffolds exhibited outstanding compressive modulus, which was notably higher than other PCL composite porous scaffolds reported in literatures. Cells culture results demonstrated that PCL/BG scaffolds displayed higher expression of osteogenic differentiation than PCL and PCL/HA scaffolds. Furthermore, in vivo results showed that more mature bone was formed within PCL/BG scaffolds than PCL/HA scaffolds, manifesting that the introduction of BG accelerated cranial bone regeneration to obtain complete bone healing within a short time. Therefore, these data indicate that PCL/BG scaffolds are more competitive for bone tissue engineering application. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 654-662, 2019.

Probing the complex thermo-mechanical properties of a 3D-printed polylactide-hydroxyapatite composite using in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering

Polylactide (PLA)-hydroxyapatite (HAp) composite components have attracted extensive attentions for a variety of biomedical applications. This study seeks to explore how the biocompatible PLA matrix and the bioactive HAp fillers respond to thermo-mechanical environment of a PLA-HAp composite manufactured by 3D printing using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). The insight is obtained by in situ synchrotron small- and wide- angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) techniques. The thermo-mechanical cyclic loading tests (0–20 MPa, 22–56 °C) revealed strain softening (Mullins effect) of PLA-HAp composite at both room and elevated temperatures (<56 °C), which can be attributed primarily to the non-linear deformation of PLA nanometre-scale lamellar structure. In contrast, the strain softening of the PLA amorphous matrix appeared only at elevated temperatures (>50 °C) due to the increased chain mobility. Above this temperature the deformation behaviour of the soft PLA lamella changes drastically. The thermal test (0–110 °C) identified multiple crystallisation mechanisms of the PLA amorphous matrix, including reversible stress-induced large crystal formation at room temperature, reversible coupled stress-temperature-induced PLA crystal formation appearing at around 60 °C, as well as irreversible heating-induced crystallisation above 92 °C. The shape memory test (0–3.75 MPa, 0–70 °C) of the PLA-HAp composite demonstrates a fixing ratio (strain upon unloading/strain before unloading) of 65% and rather a ∼100% recovery ratio, showing an improved shape memory property. These findings provide a new framework for systematic characterisation of the thermo-mechanical response of composites, and open up ways towards improved material design and enhanced functionality for biomedical applications.

Promoting osteoblast proliferation on polymer bone substitutes with bone-like structure by combining hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass

Mimicking the structural features of natural bone has been demonstrated to bring pronounced advantages for mechanical reinforcement of polymeric orthopedic substitutes that are composed of bioinert polymer matrix and bioactive fillers. However, to trigger effective bone formation and implant integration, the bioactivity of bone substitutes plays a vital role. We hypothesized that the use of hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioactive glass (BG), compared to the use of HA alone, could improve the biological properties of polymer-based bone substitutes. Herein, high-density polyethylene (PE) composites loaded with HA and BG were fabricated using a modified injection molding machine that can provide intense shear flow to regulate the hierarchical structure of the composites. Morphological observation revealed that bone-like structures were formed in both HA/PE and BG/HA/PE composites, showing highly oriented interlocked shish kebabs. In addition, the bioactive fillers were distributed uniformly. Osteoblast proliferation was promoted by the combination of HA and BG. The mechanism was the upregulation of Runx2 expression (1.51 ± 0.17) with BG and the activation of the TAZ/YAP (1.41/0.64) signaling pathway, which accelerated the generation of ossification-related proteins. BG can regulate microRNA to promote the mRNA expression of Runx2. The silencing of Runx2 expression can inhibit BG-induced osteoblast proliferation. These results suggest that the BG/HA/PE composites having a bone-like structure have high potential as bone substitutes to repair large bone defects.

Mechanical properties of experimental composites containing bioactive glass after artificial aging in water and ethanol.

To evaluate the effect of bioactive glass 45S5 (BG) in experimental composites on flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM), modulus of resilience (MR), and material reliability after artificial aging in water for 1, 7, and 30days, and an additional accelerated aging for 3days in a 75vol% ethanol-water solution. Five experimental light-curable composites were prepared with 0-40wt% of BG and a total filler load of 70wt%. The resinous matrix was Bis-GMA/TEGDMA in 60:40 by weight. Mechanical properties were evaluated using a three-point bending test (ISO/DIN 4049:1998) with n = 20. Weibull statistics were used to assess material reliability. Additionally, the degree of conversion (DC) was assessed 24h post-cure using FT-Raman spectroscopy. FS and FM decreased linearly as the amount of BG was increased. The ISO 4049 requirement for a minimum FS of 80MPa was fulfilled in experimental composites with up to 20wt% of BG. Degradation of FS and FM with artificial aging was more extensive in materials with higher BG amounts. MR decreased as a function of BG amount and artificial aging. Material reliability (Weibull modulus) was stable through aging for composites with up to 10wt% of BG. DC was negatively influenced by the BG amount and ranged from 64 to 81%. Increasing the amount of unsilanized BG fillers from 0 to 40wt% resulted in a progressive decline in mechanical properties and a more extensive degradation during artificial aging. Bioactive fillers diminished the mechanical properties in a dose-dependent manner.

Effect of Incorporation of Bioactive Glass Nano Particles in Adhesive Resin On Microtensile Bond Strength to Dentin in Self Etch and Etch and Rinse Mode

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of addition of bioactive glass nano particles to an adhesive resin on the microtensile bond strength to dentin in etch and rinse and self-etch mode. Materials and methods: bioactive glass nano particles were prepared and added to a universal adhesive (Single Bond Universal, 3M ESPE) in concentrations of 10% and 20% by wt. 48 dentin specimens were prepared from human sound molars. The occlusal enamel was removed to expose dentin and the specimens were divided into six groups of 8, A1 and B1, received unmodified adhesive, A2 and B2 received adhesive with 10% bioactive glass and A3 and B3 received adhesive with 20% bioactive glass respectively. A groups were bonded using the etch and rinse approach while theB groups were bonded using the self-etch groups. Composite resin was applied to the bonded surfaces. Specimens were sectioned for microtensile bond strength testing. Results: the addition of bioactive glass fillers caused a significant reduction to the microtensile bond strength when compared to dentin with both adhesive techniques. The amount of filler had no significant effect on the self-etch mode, while with the etch and rinse there was a further significant reduction with added filler. Conclusion: addition of bioactive nano fillers caused a significant weakening of the bond strength.

Titania-containing bioactive bone cement for total hip arthroplasty in dogs.

We developed a composite cement containing low-content bioactive titania fillers dispersed among specific polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymers and investigated the mechanical properties and bioactivity of this titania bone cement (TBC) under load-bearing conditions in cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) in adult female beagles. TBC and PMMA bone cement (PBC) were compared using custom-made prostheses. The dogs were killed 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The acetabulum was harvested to evaluate the osteoconductivity of the cement, whereas the femur was harvested for the push-out test and histological analyses. The compressive strength of TBC was significantly higher than that of PBC (p < 0.001), whereas the flexural and tensile strengths, as well as fracture toughness, were equivalent. The bonding strength values for TBC and PBC were 72.9 and 58.0 N/mm at 1 month, 69.4 and 57.2 N/mm at 3 months, 106.1 and 85.0 N/mm at 6 months, and 114.3 and 100.7 N/mm at 12 months, respectively. Histologically, TBC was in direct contact with bone without intervening with fibrous tissue over larger areas and newly formed bone was observed along the cement. The excellent mechanical properties and apparent bioactivity of this novel bone cement indicate its potential utility in clinical practice. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 1238-1245, 2019.

Tensile Properties, Biodegradability and Bioactivity of Thermoplastic Starch (TPS)/ Bioglass Composites for Bone Tissue Engineering

Composite fabricated from the combination of biodegradable polymer and bioactive filler is beneficial for bone tissue engineering if the biomaterial can perform similar characteristics of the natural inorganic-organic structures of bone. In this study, we have investigated the thermoplastic starch (TPS)/sol-gel derived bioglass composite as new biomaterial for bone tissue engineering. The composites were produced using selected TPS/bioglass mass ratio of 100/0, 95/5, 90/10, 85/15 and 80/20 by a combination of solvent casting and salt leaching techniques. Tensile test results showed the addition of bioglass increased the tensile strength and Young’s modulus, but reduced the elongation at break of the samples. The modulus of all samples were higher than the requirement for cancellous bone (10-20 MPa). The SEM imaging showed the presence of porous structure on the surface of all samples. XRD results confirmed the formation of hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer on the surface of bioglass containing samples; indicating the occurrence of surface reactions when the samples were immersed in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF). Furthermore, the presence of P-O stretch band in FTIR spectrum between 1000 and 1150 cm-1 and Si-O-Si stretch band at 1000 cm-1 also proved the bioactivity of TPS/bioglass composite. The in vitro biodegradability analysis shows the biodegradability of TPS/bioglass composite decreases with increasing mass ratio of the bioglass.

Bioactive poly(etheretherketone) composite containing calcium polyphosphate and multi-walled carbon nanotubes for bone repair: Mechanical property and in vitro biocompatibility

Poly(etheretherketone) exhibits good biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties, and bone-like stiffness. However, the natural bio-inertness of pure poly(etheretherketone) hinders its applications in biomedical field, especially when direct bone-implant osteo-integration is desired. For developing an alternative biomaterial for load-bearing orthopedic application, combination of bioactive fillers with poly(etheretherketone) matrix is a feasible approach. In this study, a bioactive multi-walled carbon nanotubes/calcium polyphosphate/poly(etheretherketone) composite was prepared through a compounding and injection-molding process for the first time. Bioactive calcium polyphosphate was added to polymer matrix to enhance the bioactivity of the composite, and incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to composite was aimed to improve both the mechanical property and biocompatibility. Furthermore, the microstructures, surface hydrophilicity, and mechanical property of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/calcium polyphosphate/poly(etheretherketone) composite, as well as the cellular responses of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells to this material were investigated. The mechanical testing revealed that mechanical performance of the resulting ternary composite was significantly enhanced by adding the multi-walled carbon nanotubes and the mechanical values obtained were close to or higher than those of human cortical bone. More importantly, cell culture tests showed that initial cell adhesion, cell viability, and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells were significantly promoted on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes/calcium polyphosphate/poly(etheretherketone) composite. Accordingly, the multi-walled carbon nanotubes/calcium polyphosphate/poly(etheretherketone) composite may be used as a promising bone repair material in dental and orthopedic applications.

Curing potential of experimental resin composites with systematically varying amount of bioactive glass: Degree of conversion, light transmittance and depth of cure

ObjectivesThe aim of this work was to investigate the curing potential of an experimental resin composite series with the systematically varying amount of bioactive glass 45S5 by evaluating the degree of conversion, light transmittance and depth of cure. MethodsResin composites based on a Bis-GMA/TEGDMA resin with a total filler load of 70 wt% and a variable amount of bioactive glass (0–40 wt%) were prepared. The photoinitiator system was camphorquinone and ethyl-4-(dimethylamino) benzoate. The degree of conversion and light transmittance were measured by Raman spectroscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy, respectively. The depth of cure was evaluated according to the classical ISO 4049 test. ResultsThe initial introduction of bioactive glass into the experimental series diminished the light transmittance while the further increase in the bioactive glass amount up to 40 wt% caused minor variations with no clear trend. The curing potential of the experimental composites was similar to or better than that of commercial resin composites. However, unsilanized bioactive glass fillers demonstrated the tendency to diminish both the maximum attainable conversion and the curing efficiency at depth. ConclusionsExperimental composite materials containing bioactive glass showed a clinically acceptable degree of conversion and depth of cure. The degree of conversion and depth of cure were diminished by bioactive glass fillers in a dose-dependent manner, although light transmittance was similar among all of the experimental composites containing 5–40 wt% of bioactive glass. Clinical significanceReduced curing potential caused by the bioactive glass has possible consequences on mechanical properties and biocompatibility.

Incorporation of Cu-Containing Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles in Gelatin-Coated Scaffolds Enhances Bioactivity and Osteogenic Activity.

Bioactive glass scaffolds (BGS) of 45S5 composition exhibit desired bioactivity, osteogenesis, and angiogenesis potential, being promising biomaterials for bone repair/regeneration. Natural polymer-based coatings, e.g., gelatin coating, are effective to enhance the mechanical properties of BGS. However, the presence of a coating may reduce the bioactivity and osteogenesis activity of the scaffolds. To address the issue of reduced osteogenic properties induced by polymer coatings, in this study, we incorporated Cu-containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (Cu-BGN: 95SiO2-2.5CaO-2.5CuO, in mol %), as bioactive fillers, into the gelatin coating. The bioactivity (apatite-forming ability) of the gelatin coated BGS was improved after the incorporation of Cu-BGN in the coating. Hydroxyapatite could form on the Cu-BGN/gelatin nanocomposite coated BGS within 1 day of immersion in simulated body fluid. The osteogenic activity as indicated by the ALP activity of MC3T3-E1 cells on the coated BGS was also significantly enhanced after the incorporation of Cu-BGN. In addition, the incorporation of Cu-BGN in the coating did not affect the highly porous and interconnected pore structure of BGS while the mechanical improvement induced by the gelatin coating remained after the addition of Cu-BGN. The attachment of MC3T3-E1 cells on the scaffolds was not influenced by the presence of Cu-BGN in the gelatin coating, while the cell proliferation was enhanced. In conclusion, the incorporation of bioactive nanoparticles into polymer coating is presented as a solution to the reduced bioactivity and osteogenic activity of polymer coated 45S5 BGS. The Cu-BGN/gelatin nanocomposite coated BGS exhibiting high bioactivity, appropriate mechanical properties, and osteogenic potential are candidate biomaterials for bone tissue engineering/regeneration.

Amphiphilic Bioactive Filler for Acrylic Bone Cement to Enhance Its Cell Adhesion.

Bioactive amphiphilic raspberry particles (BRPs) were proposed to addressing the challenge in cement-bone interface non-integration that was often taking place when poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cements are used. BRPs were designed to have surface patches with different functions, some of which are bioactive to promote bonding to bone and the rest are hydrophobic to promote well compatibility with PMMA matrix. With Pickering emulsion polymerization plus post-modification on surface, such functional particles have been successfully prepared and the composite cements (BRP-PMMA composite cements) were indeed found to promote bone related cell adhesion, while not to sacrifice any of the virtues of the conventional PMMA bone cements.

Inhibitory effect of surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) eluate against adhesion and colonization by Streptococcus mutans

Surface Pre-reacted Glass-ionomer (S-PRG) filler is a bioactive filler produced by PRG technology, which has been applied to various dental materials. A S-PRG filler can release multiple ions from a glass-ionomer phase formed in the filler. In the present study, detailed inhibitory effects induced by S-PRG eluate (prepared with S-PRG filler) against Streptococcus mutans, a major pathogen of dental caries, were investigated. S-PRG eluate effectively inhibited S. mutans growth especially in the bacterium before the logarithmic growth phase. Microarray analysis was performed to identify changes in S. mutans gene expression in the presence of the S-PRG eluate. The S-PRG eluate prominently downregulated operons related to S. mutans sugar metabolism, such as the pdh operon encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and the glg operon encoding a putative glycogen synthase. The S-PRG eluate inhibited several in vitro properties of S. mutans relative to the development of dental caries especially prior to active growth. These results suggest that the S-PRG eluate may effectively inhibit the bacterial growth of S. mutans following downregulation of operons involved in sugar metabolism resulting in attenuation of the cariogenicity of S. mutans, especially before the active growth phase.

Preparation, mechanical properties and in vitro cytocompatibility of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/poly(etheretherketone) nanocomposites

Desired bone repair material must have excellent biocompatibility and high bioactivity. Moreover, mechanical properties of biomaterial should be equivalent to those of human bones. For developing an alternative biocomposite for load-bearing orthopedic application, combination of bioactive fillers with polymer matrix is a feasible approach. In this study, a series of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) bioactive nanocomposites were prepared by a novel coprecipitation-compounding and injection-molding process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that MWCNTs were adsorbed on the surface of PEEK particles during the coprecipitation-compounding process and dispersed homogeneously in the nanocomposite because the conjugated PEEK polymers stabilized MWCNTs by forming strong π–π stack interactions. The mechanical testing revealed that mechanical performance of PEEK was significantly improved by adding MWCNTs (2–8 wt%) and the experimental values obtained were close to or higher than that of human cortical bone. In addition, incorporation of MWCNTs into PEEK matrix also enhanced the roughness and hydrophilicity of the nanocomposite surface. In vitro cytocompatibility tests demonstrated that the MWCNTs/PEEK nanocomposite was in favor of cell adhesion and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells, exhibiting excellent cytocompatibility and biocompatibility. Thus, this MWCNTs/PEEK nanocomposite may be used as a promising bone repair material in orthopedic implants application.

A new insight into in vitro behaviour of poly(\u03b5-caprolactone)/bioactive glass composites in biologically related fluids

In the present work, the role of content, size and chemical composition of gel-derived bioactive glass particles from the SiO2–CaO–P2O5 system in modulating the in vitro bioactivity, osteoinductive properties and long-term (up to 15 months) degradation behaviour of poly(ε-caprolactone)-based composite films was investigated. Bioactivity was assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF) and HEPES-free Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS), while hydrolytic degradation tests were performed in phosphate buffer saline. Obtained composite films showed excellent calcium phosphate (CaP) layer forming ability in both SBF and DMEM-10% FBS. However, kinetics of bioactivity process strongly depended on the type of medium used. The layer of amino acids and proteins, derived from cell culture medium, on the surfaces of composites created barrier that inhibited release of the ions on the one hand, while increasing nucleation density of calcium phosphates, affecting the morphology of formed CaP layers on the other. The presence of bioactive glass fillers was shown to impart osteoinductive properties to obtained films, supporting osteoblast attachment and proliferation, as well as stimulating cell differentiation and also matrix mineralization process in vitro. We showed that kinetics of bioactivity process and also osteoinductive properties of composite films could be easily modulated with the use of different contents and chemical compositions of fillers. The results showed that modification of PCL matrix with bioactive glass particles accelerated its degradation. We proved that the degradation rate of composites could be controlled and optimized for bone regeneration, in particular by using bioactive fillers causing different calcium phosphate layer forming ability on the surfaces of composites, depending on particle size and chemical composition. We have presented new opportunities to design and obtain multifunctional composites with tunable degradation and bioactivity kinetics, as well as biological properties that can meet complex requirements of bone tissue engineering.

Polyurethane-based bioadhesive synthesized from polyols derived from castor oil (Ricinus communis) and low concentration of chitosan

Abstract