Synthesis of eggshells-based hydroxyapatite/Acacia nilotica gum-based polymer composite for biomedical applications

The hydroxyapatite (HAp) with the chemical formula Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ is derived from the eggshells as a calcium source through the co-precipitation method, has been repurposed into valuable biomaterials with a strong affinity for ion substitution, notably the Sm³⁺. Furthermore, the Acacia nilotica gum was utilized for the preparation of a composite, which is excellent in water solubility and composed of both amorphous (96.2 %) and crystalline (3.8 %) powder forms. The present biogenic synthesis method consists the eggshells-based Sm-HAp/Acacia nilotica gum-based polymer composite by the co-precipitation method, and the as synthesized materials was characterized by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), the X-ray Diffraction (XRD), the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial efficiency of the composite was assessed using the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). This study investigated the antioxidant activity of the Sm-HAp/ANG composite by analyzing its DPPH activity. The biocompatibility of the HOS MG-63 cells on the Sm-HAp/Acacia nilotica gum composite was also evaluated by the MTT assay test and bioactivity studies. The swelling and degradation behaviors of the newly developed materials were also assessed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. The obtained results indicate that the synthesized eggshells-based Sm-HAp/Acacia nilotica gum-based polymer biocomposite possesses effective antibacterial and biocompatible properties.