Clay-reinforced polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate /hydroxyapatite scaffolds: Quorum sensing inhibition and enhanced...

Abnormalities in bone structure and function caused by various medical conditions lead to substantial health concerns on a global scale. Conventional treatments, such as bone grafting, face limitations in availability, compatibility, and effectiveness, highlighting the need for advanced regenerative solutions. This study developed and characterized 3D-printed composite scaffolds based on sodium alginate (SA), hydroxyapatite (HA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and varying concentrations of clay (CL). The investigation focused on their physicochemical properties, quorum sensing inhibition, and interaction with osteoblasts to assess their suitability for bone tissue engineering. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the 3D printed scaffolds showed that produced with the pore sizes ranged from 698.6 ± 12.8 μm to 725.7 ± 9.7 μm, indicating their suitability for bone tissue engineering applications. Mechanical tests revealed that the scaffolds had similar compressive strengths, but the scaffold with the highest clay content PVA-SA-HA-1CL (with 10 wt% clay group) has a slightly lower value. The swelling and degradation results observed in all produced scaffold groups indicated that the incorporation of clay did not cause significant changes in their behavior. Additionally, the incorporation of clay into the 3D scaffolds resulted in inhibition of violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472, with 5 % and 10 % clay samples reducing production by 76 % and 97 %, respectively. MTT assay revealed that PVA-SA-HA-0.5CL (with 5 wt% clay group) and PVA-SA-HA-1CL scaffolds promoted increased cell viability and proliferation compared to the control group at the end of 7 days and formed filopodia extensions indicating effective osteoblast interaction with the scaffolds. The findings suggest that the incorporation of clay into PVA-SA-HA (without clay group) scaffolds could be a promising development for bone tissue engineering applications. These findings highlight the successful development of 3D-printed, clay-reinforced PVA-SA-HA multifunctional scaffolds with promising characteristics for bone tissue engineering, including enhanced osteoblast interaction and intrinsic quorum sensing inhibitory properties.