Allyl sulfide incorporated polymethyl methacrylate and tricalcium phosphate fibrous composites for osteoblast...

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disorder characterized by a disparity in bone restructure, leading to decreased bone strength and worsening microstructure. Among bioactive compounds incorporated into ceramics, recent attention has focused on the repair or regeneration of osteoarthritis-affected bone. β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) remains a widely used material for bone regeneration due to its excellent biocompatibility and the ability of bone cells to restore it. In this study, a novel composite of β-TCP reinforced with Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and allyl sulfide (AS) fiber composites was fabricated via the electrospinning technique. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for functional group identification, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity assessment, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology analysis, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) for elemental distribution analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis were used to characterize the fabricated fiber composite materials. The successful interaction between the β-TCP/PMMA/AS fibre composite and crystalline integrity was confirmed by FTIR and XRD investigation. The β-TCP/PMMA/AS exhibited a surface area of 45.410 m²/g, a pore volume of 0.059 cm³/g, and a pore diameter of 3.9 nm according to BET analysis. In vitro cell proliferation assays demonstrated improved osteoblast viability and adhesion compared to control formulations, with nearly 90.0% viability observed at 100 µg. Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining indicated enhanced calcium deposition in the osteoblast formation, confirming the mineralization potential of the β-TCP/PMMA/AS hybrid matrix. These studies show that the β-TCP/PMMA/AS fibre composite has promising potential for bone cell formation, repair/regeneration, and suitability for osteoporosis-related bone tissue engineering applications.