Novel ethanol-induced pectin-xanthan aerogel coatings for orthopedic applications

In this study, we developed a novel high methoxyl pectin-xanthan aerogel coating on medical-grade stainless steel, prepared by ethanol-induced gelation and subsequent supercritical drying. Two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, i.e. diclofenac sodium and indomethacin, were incorporated into the aerogel coating. Electrochemical analyses were performed on the coated samples using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic polarization techniques. The results showed that all passivated samples were highly resistant to general corrosion. The release of both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was complete after 24h, as confirmed by the plateau in the drug release profiles as well as by IR spectroscopy after the final release point. The potential of samples for use in orthopedic applications was evaluated on a human bone-derived osteoblast cell and all samples were shown to be biocompatible. The increased viability of some samples indicates the high potential of the developed approach for future evaluation of possible clinical use.