In vitro degradability and bioactivity of oxidized bacterial cellulose-hydroxyapatite composites

Hydroxyapatite-associated bacterial cellulose (BC/HA) is a promising composite for biomedical applications. However, this hybrid composite has some limitations due to its low in vivo degradability. The objective of this work was to oxidize BC and BC/HA composites for different time periods to produce 2,3 dialdehyde cellulose (DAC). The BC and oxidized BC (OxBC) membranes were mineralized to obtain the hybrid materials (BC/HA and OxBC/HA) and their physico-chemical, degradability, and bioactivity properties were studied. The results showed that OxBC/HA was more bioactive and degradable than BC/HA, which isa function of the degree of BC oxidation. High glucose levels in the BC degradation were observed as a function of oxidation degree, and other products, such as butyric acid and acetic acid resulted from DAC degradation. Therefore, this chemical modification reaction favors BC degradation, making it a good biodegradable and bioactive material with a potential for bone regeneration applications.