Bacterial Nanocellulose-Chitosan-Gelatin-Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) offers biocompatibility and mechanical strength but lacks bioactivity for bone regeneration.
• Developing composite materials is crucial to enhance BNC's properties for tissue engineering applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) composite scaffolds incorporating chitosan (CS), gelatin (GT), and hydroxyapatite (HAp) for bone tissue regeneration.
• To evaluate the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the BNC-CS-GT-HAp scaffolds for their potential in bone tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Biosynthesis of BNC-CS-GT-HAp composite scaffolds using Acetobacter xylinum in a supplemented culture medium.
• Characterization of scaffold architecture, porosity, surface roughness, and mechanical properties.
• In vitro assessment of biomineralization in simulated body fluid and cell studies (MC3T3-E1) evaluating cell adsorption, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and extracellular matrix mineralization.

Main Results:

• The BNC-CS-GT-HAp scaffolds exhibited a 3D interconnected porous structure with improved surface roughness and porosity (66.0%-81.4%).
• Incorporation of hydroxyapatite (0.1%-0.2% w/v) enhanced compressive strength, thermal stability, and antibacterial properties.
• Scaffolds successfully biomineralized, forming bone-like apatite, and in vitro studies demonstrated enhanced cell adsorption, adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic activity.

Conclusions:

• The fabricated BNC-CS-GT-HAp scaffolds possess desirable physical and biological properties for bone tissue engineering.
• These composite scaffolds show significant potential to enhance osteoconductivity and serve as a promising platform for future in vivo studies.