Bletilla striata polysaccharide modified glass ionomer cement: enhanced mechanical and biological properties

The study aimed to investigate the mechanical and biological properties of glass ionomer cement (GIC) reinforced with Bletilla striata (Thunb.) polysaccharide (BSP). BSP was incorporated into the GIC liquid phase at concentrations of 0 wt% (control group), 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 7 wt% (experimental group) by weight. Compressive strength (n = 10 per group), flexural strength (n = 15 per group), microtensile bond strength and failure mode (n = 20 per group), surface hardness (n = 20 per group), surface roughness (n = 6 per group), surface characterization, cell viability and morphology were evaluated. Data were submitted to Shapiro-Wilk, ANOVA and Tukey tests. The 5 wt% BSP-GIC group exhibited the highest values for compressive strength, flexural strength and surface hardness, microtensile bond strength values among all groups. However, the 5 wt% BSP-GIC group showed the lowest value in surface roughness without significance (p > 0.05). Among all the tested factor, 3 wt% and 7 wt% BSP-GIC groups showed similar microtensile bond strength values. Mixed failure was observed in all groups. The experimental biomaterials also demonstrated no significant cytotoxic potential. The study revealed that addition of 5 wt% BSP significantly enhances compressive strength, flexural strength, surface hardness and microtensile bond strength of GIC. Furthermore, 5 wt% BSP-GIC demonstrates the highest mechanical properties among them, which indicates a potential application in dental restorative field.