Biocomposites Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Chitosan/Extract of Mimosa tenuiflora composite scaffolds were fabricated by freeze-drying lyophilization and were then evaluated and compared for use as a bone regeneration scaffold through the evaluation of its bioactivity and biocompatibility. The in vitro bioactivity evaluation of the scaffolds was carried out by analyzing the apatite layers produced on them using simulated body fluid (SBF) as an incubation medium. The apatite formation was analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive electron X-ray spectroscopy. The cumulative results obtained from IR spectra and SEM-EDS suggest that the developed composites might have potential applications in tissue engineering. The in vitro cell culture of Wistar rat's osteoblasts were used to evaluate the phenotype expression of cells in the scaffolds, characterizing the cellular adhesion, proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase activity. Our results, thus, show that Ch/Extracts of M. tenuiflora scaffolds are suitable for biological applications.